Crispy Pork Carnitas with Salsa Verde & Chicharron Crunch
Crispy Pork Carnitas with Salsa Verde & Chicharron Crunch
A classic Mexican street food heavyweight made simple for home cooks. Slow-cooked skin-on pork shoulder with the skin scored, removed, and grilled into light, puffed homemade chicharron, paired with meat crisped in its own rendered fat and topped with a zesty handmade salsa verde.
Serves 4
Prep 10MINS
Cook 2.5HRS
Ingredients
For the Pork Carnitas & Homemade Chicharron:
- 800g skin-on pork shoulder (pork butt)
- 2 x Carnitas Taco Recipe Kit (marinate/spice mix & braising sauce)
- 1 orange (juiced)
- 1 tbsp coarse sea salt (for the skin)
- 150ml water or stock.
For the Salsa Verde:
- 1 jar Tomatillo Salsa
- Small handful Serrano Chillies
- Handful fresh coriander
- Squeeze of lime (blitzed until fresh and bright).
To Serve:
- 1 pack Corn Tortillas
- finely diced white onion
- fresh coriander
- lime wedges.
Method
- Prep the Pork & Skin: Carefully slice the pork skin off the top of the shoulder in one piece. Score the skin in a diamond pattern, rub liberally with coarse sea salt, and set aside. Cut the remaining pork meat into large 5cm chunks.
- Braised Pork: Combine the pork meat, Carnitas Taco Recipe Kit seasoning, orange juice, and stock in a casserole dish or slow cooker. Braise until fork-tender (2.5 hours in oven or slow cooker).
- Make Puffed Chicharron: Pat the salted pork skin completely dry. Place under a hot grill on high heat for 10–15 minutes until the skin puffs, bubbles, and turns golden and crackling crisp. Allow to cool. Roughly cut into shards.
- Crisp Up Meat: Shred the braised pork meat, reserve pan juices, and sear in a smoking hot pan with the rendered pork fat until the edges are dark golden and crispy.
- Build: Warm Corn Tortillas (double stack). Load with crispy carnitas meat, spoon over the fresh Tomatillo Salsa green sauce, top with diced onion, coriander, and a crown of homemade puffed chicharron shards.
What you’ll need
Crispy Pork Carnitas with Salsa Verde & Chicharron Crunch
A classic Mexican street food heavyweight made simple for home cooks. Slow-cooked skin-on pork shoulder with the skin scored, removed, and grilled into light, puffed homemade chicharron, paired with meat crisped in its own rendered fat and topped with a zesty handmade salsa verde.
Ingredients
For the Pork Carnitas & Homemade Chicharron:
- 800g skin-on pork shoulder (pork butt)
- 2 x Carnitas Taco Recipe Kit (marinate/spice mix & braising sauce)
- 1 orange (juiced)
- 1 tbsp coarse sea salt (for the skin)
- 150ml water or stock.
For the Salsa Verde:
- 1 jar Tomatillo Salsa
- Small handful Serrano Chillies
- Handful fresh coriander
- Squeeze of lime (blitzed until fresh and bright).
To Serve:
- 1 pack Corn Tortillas
- finely diced white onion
- fresh coriander
- lime wedges.
How to make it
- Prep the Pork & Skin: Carefully slice the pork skin off the top of the shoulder in one piece. Score the skin in a diamond pattern, rub liberally with coarse sea salt, and set aside. Cut the remaining pork meat into large 5cm chunks.
- Braised Pork: Combine the pork meat, Carnitas Taco Recipe Kit seasoning, orange juice, and stock in a casserole dish or slow cooker. Braise until fork-tender (2.5 hours in oven or slow cooker).
- Make Puffed Chicharron: Pat the salted pork skin completely dry. Place under a hot grill on high heat for 10–15 minutes until the skin puffs, bubbles, and turns golden and crackling crisp. Allow to cool. Roughly cut into shards.
- Crisp Up Meat: Shred the braised pork meat, reserve pan juices, and sear in a smoking hot pan with the rendered pork fat until the edges are dark golden and crispy.
- Build: Warm Corn Tortillas (double stack). Load with crispy carnitas meat, spoon over the fresh Tomatillo Salsa green sauce, top with diced onion, coriander, and a crown of homemade puffed chicharron shards.
What you’ll need
- Carnitas Taco Recipe Kit https://gran.luchito.com/our-products/carnitas-taco-recipe-kit/
- Corn Tortillas https://gran.luchito.com/our-products/authentic-corn-tortillas/
- Zingy & Tangy Tomatillo Salsa https://gran.luchito.com/our-products/tomatillo-salsa/
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