Pork Carnitas Tacos

Pork Carnitas Tacos

1 whole 2-pound Pork Shoulder Roast, Excess Fat Trimmed, And Meat Cut Into 1-inch Cubes
3 Tablespoons Canola Oil
⅔ cups Diced Onion
2 cloves Garlic, Minced
1 Tablespoon Chile Powder
1 Tablespoon Ancho Chile Powder
½ teaspoons Dried Cumin
2 whole Bay Leaves
1 Tablespoon Dried Oregano
¼ teaspoons Salt, Plus A Pinch Extra
¼ teaspoons Black Pepper
6 whole 8-inch Corn Tortillas
1 cup Salsa (optional)
½ cups Shredded Cheese Of Your Choice, Optional


Preheat your oven to 350 F. Sprinkle a few pinches of salt over the cubed pork and set aside.

Add 2 tablespoons of the canola oil to a large (4-5 quart) Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the pork. Once browned, remove the pork from the pan and set it aside.

Using the same Dutch oven, add one tablespoon of oil to the pan and brown the onion. When it’s almost finished, add the garlic. Next add the pork back to the Dutch oven and stir to combine everything.

Into the Dutch oven, also add the chile powder, ancho chile powder, cumin, bay leaves, oregano, and the salt and pepper. Next add enough water to cover the pork, place the lid on, and place it in the oven for about 2 1/2 hours, stirring the mixture every half hour or so.

After about two hours of cooking, most of the liquid should be evaporated. Remove the bay leaves from the pan.

Next remove the pork from the pan, allow it to cool, and cut it into smaller cubes, or shred it. Put the pork back in the Dutch oven and allow it to cook for another half hour.

Serve pork in the corn tortillas, taco style, with cheese, salsa and avocado as optional garnishes.