Just in time for taco Tuesday and Cinco de Mayo!

Part of this recipe, the meat, is from my current favorite cookbook, Body Love, by Kelly Leveque. The other part is improvised; I leaned on the Mexican food I have eaten in the past, and my husband as someone who knows how authentic Mexican food should taste. I must say, I was surprised myself how tasty it was and how much we all loved it.

 

Ingredients 

(Serves 4)

Carnitas:

1 kg pork roast (2 pounds)

1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1 1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 1/2 tsp onion powder

1 1/2 tsp cumin

1 1/2 tsp dried oregano

2 bay leaves

1 yellow onion, sliced

1 cup chicken broth

Salt

Fresh pepper

 

Tortillas:

4 cups of flour

1 2/3 cups hot water

1/4 cup olive oil

1 1/2 tsp salt

 

Avocado dip:

2 garlic cloves (pressed)

3 ripe avocados

Juice of 1/2 lime

Salt and pepper to taste

 

Pico de Gallo:

4 tomatoes

2 red onions

1/2 cup fresh cilantro

juice from one lime

1/2 tsp Salt (or to taste)

Carnitas

• • If you want Carnitas for dinner, you need to start cooking the meat in the slow cooker in the morning, as it needs to cook for 8 hours. The results are fantastic.
• • Dry the pork well with a paper towel. Salt and pepper it from all sides. Mix the rest of the spices in a little bowl and season the pork on all sides.
• • Preheat a large pan to medium-high heat and add oil, then sear the meat on all sides. In the meantime, turn the slow cooker to low.
• • Once the pork is seared, transfer it to the slow cooker. Add onion, and broth, then cook it for 8 hours.
• • Once the meat is done, transfer it to a cutting board, shred and serve.

Tortillas

• • About an hour before dinner time, I start making the tortillas. They are easy to make, but the cooking takes little time. I promise it’s worth it, and eating homemade tortillas is a total game-changer. The tortillas can be stored for up to a week in the refrigerator and re-heated as needed.
• • In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.
• • Add water, and olive oil, then mix using your hands until the dough is a cohesive ball and all the liquid has been absorbed (if the dough feels too sticky, add some flour a little bit at a time until the dough is smooth but not sticky)
• • Transfer it onto a work surface and knead for about 10 min.
• • Heat a large nonstick sauté pan over medium-high heat.
• • Divide it into 12 balls for big tortillas, or 16 for small tortillas. Roll out one piece of dough into a circle, 6 or 8 inches (20 or 15 cm). Transfer it to the pan and cook for 1 min, flip and cook for additional 30 seconds, or until brown spots appear on both sides.
• • Transfer the tortilla to a plate and cover with a clean kitchen towel.
• • Repeat until all the tortillas are cooked.

Pico de Gallo

• • Dice the tomatoes, onions, and cilantro. Place the onion in a small bowl with the lime juice and salt, and let it marinade for five minutes or so before finally adding the tomato and cilantro.

Guacamole

• • Peel the avocados and scoop out the pit.
• • In a medium bowl, mash the avocados, add the lime juice, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well and let it stand for 30 min before serving.

Combine a little bit of everything in a freshly made tortilla and enjoy!