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Tacos de Carnitas





Yields
Makes 12 tacos




Total Time
3 hrs 45 mins

At La Taqueria, in the Mission District of San Francisco, the tortillas, beans, and salsa are all made from scratch. In our timesaving version, the star remains the juicy, tender, crisp-edged pork carnitas--"little meats." You'll have leftover pork, which you can add to eggs for a hearty brunch or freeze as a future gift to yourself.

su-Tacos de Carnitas




Photo: Jeff Minton
 5 pounds pork butt, cut into large chunks
  About 4 cups lard*
 4 large garlic cloves
 2 teaspoons kosher salt
 24 small corn tortillas
 2 cups coarsely shredded jack cheese
 1 can (15 oz.) pinto beans, drained, rinsed, and warmed
  Pico de gallo salsa
Step 1
1

Cook pork with 1/4 cup water in a large, wide, heavy pot (stainless steel or enameled iron) over high heat, stirring occasionally, until all liquid has evaporated, 20 to 30 minutes.

Step 2
2

Add lard and reduce heat to low. Move pork chunks as needed to keep them submerged. Cook pork until starting to soften on the edges but still firm in the center, about 1 hour.

Step 3
3

Whirl garlic and salt together in a food processor to make a paste. Stir garlic paste into lard.

Step 4
4

Cook pork until fork tender, about 1 hour more. Lift pork into a strainer set over a bowl. When cool, break into smaller pieces.

Step 5
5

Spoon about 1 tbsp. melted lard into a large frying pan. Lay a tortilla in pan, sprinkle evenly with about 1/4 cup cheese, and set another tortilla on top to create a quesadilla. Cook over medium heat, turning once, until cheese has melted, 4 minutes. Repeat with remaining tortillas.

Step 6
6

Fill quesadilla with about 1/2 cup carnitas, beans, and salsa.

Step 7
7

*Find lard (manteca in Spanish) at Latino markets, or order it from a butcher. Freshly rendered tastes best.

Step 8
8

Note: Nutritional analysis is per taco without salsa.

Nutrition Facts

Servings 0


Amount Per Serving
Calories 655Calories from Fat 66
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 50g77%

Saturated Fat 20g100%
Cholesterol 130mg44%
Sodium 546mg23%
Total Carbohydrate 17g6%

Dietary Fiber 2.6g11%
Protein 33g66%

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