Dinner Tonight: Weeknight Carnitas
You need a taco. And if you didn't-- well I bet you do now.
Sometimes you just need a taco at home. Like, a GOOD taco. That you can eat in your soft pants at home like tacos are meant to be eaten. But also a taco that is quick. Even I-- President of Team Pain-in-the-Ass Project Cooking-- sometimes need a semi-homemade 30 minute weeknight meal that nobody is gonna say no to.
And when I say a quick 30 minute weeknight taco, I'm not talking about that sad Tuesday night taco with super lean ground beef and a dusty old "Taco Kit" you bought months ago with stale hard shells and a plastic packet of salsa. No. You deserve better. We all do! You deserve a semi-homemade taco with warm crisped up shredded pork seasoned with garlic and chipotle. A blistered corn tortilla with cilantro, fresh salsa, a crumbling of queso fresco and some pickled onions. IN YOUR HOUSE. On a weeknight! IN THIRTY MINUTES. Let's go.
These tacos sort of manifested themselves one summer when I was wandering the aisles of Costco (a favorite past time) and came across their pre-cooked shredded pulled pork.
It was a blank canvas. Akin to a rotisserie chicken or a can of good tuna-- it's just waiting to be dressed up and by no means should be cast aside. It's good too. It's not the ultra-shredded pulled pork you might also find in the store soaked in sauce and ready for the microwave, and it's not the sad result of an 8+ hour bath in a crockpot, resulting in "wet" shredded pork (no thank you). Nope, it's got big chunks of smoky, delicious pulled pork with remnants of the almost-burnt exterior still in the mix. It's great with barbecue, but wouldn't it be even better as a taco?
...Wouldn't most things?
Anyway with tacos on the brain, I turned to another trusty grocery store add-in care of the king of American Tacos: Rick Bayless.
This sauce is originally created for a slow cooker, or a slow stovetop roast but that's not where we're putting this sauce! Instead on a whim I tossed the pork with the sauce, spread it out on a baking sheet and popped it in the oven to heat through. A quick blast with the broiler to replicate the crispy delicious bits that all good carnitas have and things were looking really good. I added in some quality taco additions and suddenly I was eating a delicious, satisfying taco at home. Kinda by accident. Not mad about it. Sometimes you gotta let the grocery store do the work.
Dinner Tonight: Weeknight Carnitas
Menu:
Crispy Garlic Pork Carnitas
Blistered Corn & Flour Tortillas
Guacamole
Pickled Red Onions
Queso Fresco
Cold Cervezas
Ingredients
For the Carnitas:
2 lbs pre-shredded pulled pork (I love Costco's Kirkland brand but you can use any pre-shredded pork)
1 packet (8 oz) Frontera Garlicky Carnitas Slow Cook Sauce
1 tsp cilantro, minced (optional)
For The Salsa
1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 can original Rotel
½ medium sized white onion, roughly chopped
1 jalapeno*, stemmed and seeded depending on your desire fo’ fire
Handful of cilantro, very roughly chopped
The juice of half a lime
2 cloves of garlic, smashed
1.5 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp cumin
*For a smokier take, plop a chipotle in there. Also delicious!
For the Pickled Red Onions
One medium red onion, sliced pole to pole in 1/8in or so thick slices
1/2 C red wine vinegar
1/2 C cold water
4 tsp Kosher Salt
1 Tbsp granulated sugar
Taco Accouterment:
Chips (If you're already shopping at Costco, be sure to pick up their delicious Organic Tortilla Chips)
Corn Tortillas and/or Flour Tortillas
Fresh torn cilantro
Crumbled Queso Fresco
Limes
Hot Sauce (optional)
Avocados-- these are a plus if I have them, but my kids aren't huge fans so we don't make a special point to include them. I like them roughly smushed with cilantro, lime and salt but just sliced or diced is also great.
Optional Sides:
Seasoned Black Beans (if we're going full grocery store I will admit I am always a fan of a canned bean and I like the Bush's seasoned black beans here for a quick heat-and-eat)
Chips (DUH) --If you're already shopping at Costco, be sure to pick up their delicious Organic Tortilla Chips)
Modelo Beer or other delicious cerveza of your choosing
Really lean into this easy weeknight thing and get yourself some Kirkland Pre-mixed margaritas while you're at it!
Method
For The Salsa: Combine all ingredients in food processor. Pulse to combine and continue pulsing until the texture is the desired consistency. Pour salsa into container (a wide mouth Ball Quart size jar fits it perfectly). The Salsa will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, but I bet it won’t last that long.
For the pickled red onions: Combine all ingredients except for onions in a large jar (I use a wide mouth 16oz ball jar). Shake until sugar has mostly dissolved. Add onions and shake again. They should be submerged, and if they aren't feel free to add more 1:1 vinegar/water until it's covered. For lightly pickled onions, let sit for at least 30 min. For a stronger pickle, wait a couple of hours before using. These will keep in the fridge for up to a month. Put them on everything.
For the Carnitas: Adjust oven to middle position and heat to 425F. Spread pulled pork evenly on sheet tray. Drizzle entire packet of Carnitas sauce over and using hands, toss until combined. Cook uncovered in oven for 10-15 minutes until warmed through. Turn on broiler and cook, watching carefully, for an additional 5-10 minutes until pork ends are crispy, things are sizzling, and you get really excited. Sprinkle with 1-2 Tbsp chopped cilantro if desired. Serve.
For the Tortillas: This is a non-negotiable. You must char your corn tortillas at home before using them for taco night. I had a friend once who came over for tacos and upon biting into it exclaimed that he always hated corn tortillas at home but somehow ours were so good. Well, that's because he was eating them raw out of the packet from the store and that's no good. Giving your corn tortillas a quick kiss of heat softens them up and adds a ton of flavor with very little effort and practically a clean pan at the end. Flour tortillas are a little more lenient but also hugely benefit from a quick trip to the skillet. To char the tortillas, while the pork is cooking, heat up a dry cast iron skillet (or really, any skillet I just prefer cast iron) over high heat. Add tortillas one at a time until they start to puff and blister slightly. Flip over and let cook for a few more seconds and transfer to plate. Repeat with as many tortillas as you think you need. If you think you're going to need a million tortillas you can also lay them out on a sheet pan under the broiler and cook en masse and then flip to cook the other side, but we often don't need more than 12 total.
Taco Night Pro Tips:
I love taco night because while there do end up being a lot of little dishes, the actual cooking involved is fairly low and the interactivity is high, which makes for an inherently fun meal. I have a lazy susan that I love to use for these dinners and plop right in the middle of the table, and in little bowls I put queso fresco, salsa, fresh cilantro, lime wedges, pickled onions, and of course the pork, tortillas and chips. We are pretty casual and use our hands for the cheese, limes and queso fresco but add a spoon to each bowl accordingly.
This dinner is a favorite, and it's even better when it's warm outside. I love it because you can EASILY double it and have friends over for a casual dinner party full of tequila and chips and delicious tacos without breaking your back braising a pork shoulder, and in general-- kids really like taco night. It's a winner all around and I'm so happy to share it! Happy Taco Night!