Believe it or not, I had never made carnitas before this. I have no idea why, given that Mexican food and braised meat are 2 of my favorite things ever. I recently purchased Roberto Santibañez’s Tacos, Tortas, and Tamales: Flavors from the Griddles, Pots, and Streetside Kitchens of Mexico
Interestingly, in Santibañez’s previous book, Truly Mexican: Essential Recipes and Techniques for Authentic Mexican Cooking
I have to apologize for the lag between posts. We will be at the beach for the upcoming 2 (squee!) weeks, soaking in the sun and surf. Or getting buried by uncles. You know, beach stuff.
- 8 garlic cloves peeled
- 1/2 medium-large white onion roughly chopped
- 1 T dried Mexican oregano
- 1/2 t dried thyme
- 5 t kosher salt
- 1/2 cup water
- 5 lbs boneless pork shoulder cut into 2-inch chunks
- 3 dried bay leaves
- 1 cup Coca-Cola
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Preheat the oven to 350 F.
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Place the first 6 ingredients into a blender. Blitz smooth, and then mix in the Coke.
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Place the pork chunks into a large, heavy pot, such as a Dutch oven. Pour the pureed mixture over the pork. Add the bay leaves. Cover with a heavy lid and place in the oven. Let braise until tender for about 2 hours.
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Raise the heat to 425 F. Uncover the pot and let the moisture cook out of the pork for 30 minutes. It will eventually be frying in its own fat, at which point start tossing the pork every 10-15 minutes. It should crispy on the outside but meltingly tender in the middle. When it has reached this point, about 30-45 minutes, it is ready to serve.
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Serve with corn tortillas, chopped onions and cilantro, and some Taqueria Style Guacamole or some other kind of salsa.
I absolutely love Carnitas meat.
I’ve seen Coke infused meats around the blogosphere semi frequently so I imagine it must be a delicious combo! Have fun at the beach!
I made carnitas for the first time a few weeks ago too. Aren´t they addictive? The coke sounds intriguing Laura!
Carnitas are my ultimate comfort food… I LOVE them! I’ve never tried making them with Coke, although I know many people do. I use beer!
Carnitas are my typical lunchtime craving! I love braising pork with coke- it does cook down deliciously, and brings out a great flavor. Perfect for summertime lunches (and cravings!) Have fun on vacay!
About how many people will this feed for lunch? Just an idea, please!
8-12, which I know is a big range, but it really depends on the guests and their appetites! I am a paranoid hostess, so I would plan for less people and accept more leftovers, personally. 🙂
Thanks for the recipe! Here’s my modification. I first seared the meat chunks (3 lbs pork but cut off the bone) and bone on medium heat in 1/4 pound of manteca (lard) for about 45 minutes on the range top in my 5 qt Dutch oven. Then dded the other ingredients, but substituted orange juice for the water (and actually used equal parts OJ and a can of coke). I didn’t blender anything. I love that last part boiling dow the liquid and getting the pork super crisp. Yum.