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La Taqueria Carnitas

At La Taqueria in San Francisco, owner Miguel Jara cooks pork in cauldrons of bubbling lard until tender, then roasts it to make crowd-pleasing carnitas. At home, braise the pork, then roast until tender-crisp.  Garnish tacos with cotija cheese, Café Azul tomatillo-avocado salsa, and diced tomatoes.

 1 boned, tied pork shoulder or butt (4 to 5 lb.)
 2 onions (1 lb. total), peeled and quartered
 4 stalks celery (including leaves), rinsed and cut into chunks
 4 cloves garlic, peeled
 2 dried bay leaves
 2 teaspoons dried thyme
  About 1 teaspoon salt
 1/2 cup milk
Step 1
1

Rinse pork and put in a 6- to 8-quart pan. Add onions, celery, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and enough water to cover meat--2 1/2 to 3 1/2 quarts.

Step 2
2

Bring to a boil over high heat; cover, reduce heat, and simmer until meat is very tender when pierced, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. With slotted spoons, transfer pork to a 9- by 13-inch pan; reserve cooking juices. Discard string, and use 2 forks to pull meat into large chunks. Pour milk over meat.

Step 3
3

Bake pork in a 325° oven until drippings are browned, about 1 hour, stirring and scraping pan occasionally.

Step 4
4

Meanwhile, pour reserved juices through a strainer into a bowl; discard residue. Skim and discard fat. Return juices to pan. Boil over high heat until reduced to 2 cups, about 45 minutes.

Step 5
5

When pork drippings are browned, add 1 cup of the reduced juices; scrape drippings free and stir meat, breaking into smaller pieces. Bake until juices have evaporated and drippings are browned, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Repeat step, using remaining juices, and cook until meat edges are crisp and browned, 15 to 20 minutes longer. Season to taste with salt.

Step 6
6

Nutritional analysis per 1/2 cup.

Nutrition Facts

Amount Per Serving
Calories 255Calories from Fat 67
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 19g30%

Saturated Fat 6.9g35%
Cholesterol 71mg24%
Sodium 191mg8%
Total Carbohydrate 3g1%

Dietary Fiber 0.5g2%
Protein 17g34%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.