Tacos de Carnitas con Salsa Verde (Pork Carnitas Tacos)

Carnitas

• 900 g Pork shoulder, boneless
• 1 large Orange
• 1 large Yellow onion
• 4 cloves Garlic
• 2 tsp Ground cumin
• 2 tsp Dried oregano
• 1 tbsp Olive oil
• 2 tsp Fine sea salt
• 1 tsp Black pepper
• 500 ml Water

Salsa verde and to serve

• 450 g Tomatillo
• 1 medium Jalapeno pepper
• 20 g Fresh coriander
• 1 large Lime
• 12 pieces Corn tortillas

1. Cut the pork into large chunks. Peel and quarter the onion, and lightly crush the garlic cloves. Halve the orange and squeeze in the juice, then add the squeezed halves to the pot as well.
2. Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season the pork with the salt, pepper, cumin and oregano, then brown in batches for 6 to 8 minutes total, turning until well coloured. Return all the pork to the pot.
3. Add the onion, garlic, orange halves and water, scraping up any browned bits. Bring to a simmer, then cover and cook on a very low heat for 2 hours, turning the pork once or twice, until it is pull-apart tender. Uncover for the last 15 minutes to reduce the cooking liquid slightly.
4. Meanwhile, make the salsa verde: remove any papery husks from the tomatillos and rinse away any stickiness. Simmer the tomatillos and jalapeño in a small saucepan with enough water to cover for 8 to 10 minutes, until the tomatillos turn olive-green and soften. Drain well.
5. Blend the cooked tomatillos and jalapeño with the fresh coriander and the juice of the lime until bright and spoonable. Taste and add a pinch more salt if needed. Set aside.
6. Lift the pork out and shred it, discarding the orange halves; keep the cooking liquid in the pot. Skim and reserve 3 tbsp of the fat from the surface of the liquid, then simmer the remaining liquid for 5 to 10 minutes until slightly syrupy. Toss the shredded pork with a few spoonfuls of the reduced liquid to keep it juicy.
7. Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat and add the reserved pork fat. Add the shredded pork in an even layer and cook, undisturbed, for 3 to 4 minutes until crisp at the edges, then toss and crisp for 2 to 3 minutes more. Add a splash of the reduced liquid if it looks dry.
8. Warm the corn tortillas in a dry pan for about 20 to 30 seconds per side until pliable. Fill each tortilla with the carnitas and spoon over the salsa verde. Serve straight away while the pork is still crisp.

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