Fried Crisp Pork with Chile-Peanut Sauce: Carnitas con Salsa Guajillo y Cacahuates

Ingredients

Salsa Guajillos y Cacahuates:

• 2 cups water
• 4 guajillos, stemmed and seeded
• 2 anchos, stemmed and seeded
• 5 chile de arbols, stemmed and seeded
• 1/4 pound tomatillos, husked
• 1 white onion, peeled and quartered
• 2 garlic cloves
• 3/4 cup roasted peanuts

Carnitas:

• 2 1/2 cups cups water
• 10 bunches thyme
• 2 sprigs oregano
• 1 medium white onion, quartered
• 5 cloves garlic
• 2 pounds boneless pork butt diced into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 pounds lard
• Warm corn tortillas, as an accompaniment
• Sliced radishes, as an accompaniment
• Shredded lettuce, as an accompaniment

Directions

For the salsa: In a small saucepot, bring 2 cups of water to a boil.

In a cast iron skillet, toast the chiles until they start to smoke and blister. Remove from the pan and place in a bowl and cover with boiling water.

In the same cast iron skillet, toast the tomatillo, onion, and garlic until soft and they char a little.

Put the soaked chiles, peanuts, onion, tomatillo, and garlic in a food processor with the chile water. Puree until smooth, and season with salt and pepper.

For the carnitas: In a large stockpot, heat 2 1/2 cups of water with the thyme, oregano, white onion, garlic, and salt. When it comes to a boil add the diced pork butt and cook covered for 1 hour. Remove and drain.

In a large Dutch oven, heat the lard. When lard is smoking, sear the pork to brown all sides. Remove and serve with warm tortillas, guajillo-peanut sauce, radishes, and shredded lettuce.