Pork belly carnitas
Carnitas is one of the most mouth-watering dishes in the Mexican repertoire.
Preparation time: 15 minutes plus 1 hour salting
Cooking time: 3½ hours
Serves: 6 to 8
Pork belly carnitas by Thomasina Miers
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Pork belly carnitas by Thomasina Miers
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Ingredients
1 RSPCA Assured pork belly, boned
sea salt
500g lard
2 bay leaves
5 garlic cloves, bashed
2 Fairtrade oranges, sliced
1 tsp Fairtrade peppercorns
500ml cola drink
handful of thyme sprigs
To serve:
handful of fresh coriander, chopped
1 white onion or a few shallots, chopped
Fairtrade lime wedges
Tip:
This dish goes well with salsa such as gooseberry and avocado salsa or robust salsa verde (recipes for both in Wahaca – Mexican Food at Home by Thomasina Miers) and warm corn tortillas
Method
Preheat the oven to 130°C/fan 110°C/gas 1.
Cut the pork belly into six roughly equal pieces. Rub with salt and leave to sit for one hour.
Put the pork chunks into a large casserole pan with the rest of the ingredients and bring to simmering point.
Cover well with a tight-fitting lid or foil and cook in the oven for 2–3 hours, until the pork is so soft that it can be cut with a spoon. Scoop out the pieces with a slotted spoon and arrange them on a baking sheet.
Turn the oven up to 190°C/fan 170°C/gas 5. Roast the pork for about 30 minutes, until the pieces are crispy, golden and caramelised.
Roughly chop the meat and serve on a wooden board or heated plate with bowls of coriander, white onion or shallot, wedges of lime, a salsa and warm tortillas for making your own tacos.
Recipe: The Freedom Food Celebrity Recipe Collection
