what's cooking: carnitas

This is one of my favorite new recipes! We had it first for a chaplaincy dinner (Assemble your own Taco Night), and it was a hit. I liked it so much that I demanded a swift encore, and we had it again less than two weeks later.

The carnitas are well seasoned and tender, and the shredded texture works especially well for making tacos and burritos. S. made a smaller amount since it was just the two of us, but the recipe easily expands or contracts depending on how many you need to feed. I personally like iceberg lettuce and fresh tomatoes with my tacos, but you can create any sort of combination you like. We also had homemade guacamole, which added a creamy contrast to the spicy pork and the veggies, but sour cream could fulfill the same function.

I am hoping, though, to find a good way of draining the pork. It's cooked with oil, and that is evident after eating a taco, since it all drains out the tail end. I don't want to end up with very dry carnitas, but I'm hoping for less grease on my plate and in my system.

Recipe from Alaska Cooks