Carnitas (aka Hugo's Favorite)

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Mmmm. Carnitas means "little meats," but there's nothing little about the big flavors in this dish.  This is my version of the spicy, crispy, shredded pork that's great served with tortillas and all the fixins'. Basically, you braise the meat until it's really tender. Then you shred it and broil it briefly to crisp it up. Serve it with tortillas, rice & beans or as tacos. It takes a little time, but very little effort and is a great way to serve a crowd on a budget.

Note: So, after I wrote this and took almost all the pictures for this post (I was just about to put the pork under the broiler for the final step), I left the room briefly and returned to find my dog ON THE KITCHEN COUNTER. Yep, he ate almost the entire pan of carnitas! He's not a big dog. I expect he'll be muy sick later. Those of you who know Hugo won't be surprised by this...just add it to your list of my crazy dog stories. Anyway, he left me just enough to snap a photo...we ate ground beef. Take my advice and don't leave this one unattended, apparently it's irresitable!

Trim as much fat as possible from the roast and generously salt & pepper.  Cut it into 3 big chunks so it cooks faster.

I used my Pressure Cooker here to cut the time by a third, but you can use any heavy, covered pot.  Pour in a small (about 8 oz.) container of salsa verde and some water to just cover the meat. I bought some salsa at the farmer's market this week and the sweet lady threw this salsa verde in for free, so I thought I'd make good use of it here. Alternatively, if you don't have any salsa verde on hand, just add some spices you like (cumin, chili powder, cayenne, etc.), some sliced onion and a couple cloves of garlic.

Lock the lid on your Pressure Cooker, if using, bring to pressure and cook for 1 hour. Or, bring the liquid to a boil over high heat, cover and place in the oven for 3 hours. I've done it both ways and had equally delicious results.

Remove the meat from the pot to a bowl and shred using 2 forks. 

Transfer the meat to a baking sheet, pour a little of the cooking liquid over it and put it under the broiler for about 5 minutes until it's crispy in places.

I made tostada shells by spraying corn tortillas with cooking spray, adding a sprinkle of coarse salt and baking at 450 degrees for about 10 minutes.

Carnitas

serves 6 people (or one crazy dog)

2 3/4 lb boneless pork shoulder

Salt and pepper

8 oz. salsa verde (store bought is fine, or make your own)

1 1/2 cups water

Suggested toppings:

chopped cilantro

shredded cheese

chopped onion

guacamole

1. Trim fat from the pork, cut it into 3 chunks and salt and pepper liberally.
2. Add pork to the pot of a pressure cooker or oven proof pot with lid. Add salsa and water just to cover pork. Lock the lid of the pressure cooker, if using and bring it to high pressure. Cook for one hour.  Alternatively, in a regular pot, bring the liquid to a boil over high heat. Cover and place in a 350 degree oven for 3 hours or until the pork is fork-tender.
3. Remove pork from pot to a large bowl, retaining 1 cup of the braising liquid; using two forks, shred the meat, discarding any fatty pieces.
4. Transfer meat to a baking sheet, add 1/2 to 1 cup of the braising liquid and broil for 5 minutes to crisp the meat slightly.

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