Po Campo/Pork Carnitas
- Level: Intermediate
- Yield: 4 servings po campo (plus additional pork carnitas)
- Total: 3 hr 30 min
- Active: 45 min
Ingredients
Po Campo/Pork Carnitas:
1 pound lard or bacon fat
5 pounds diced pork shoulder
1/4 cup iodized salt
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons dried cilantro
2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon granulated garlic
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup orange juice
1 cup milk
Po Campo Assembly:
4 large flour tortillas
2 large eggs, whisked
8 ounces Cheddar-Monterey Jack cheese blend
1 pound breakfast-style potatoes
Fire-Roasted Salsa, for serving, recipe follows
Queso/Cheese Sauce, recipe follows
Fire-Roasted Salsa:
4 tomatoes
1/2 onion
1 jalapeño
4 green onions
4 cloves garlic
1/2 bundle fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons lime juice
Kosher salt
Queso/Cheese Sauce:
8 ounces American or processed cheese
3 ounces lager beer
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup salsa/picante sauce
Directions
- For the po campo/pork carnitas: Start by heating the lard in large saucepot over medium-high heat. Add the pork and cook until lightly colored. Add the salt, chili powder, dried cilantro, dried oregano, granulated garlic, paprika, pepper, cumin and cinnamon to the pork and stir. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 1 1/2 hours.
- Strain the fat from the liquid, put the pork back into the pot and add the orange juice and milk. Simmer until very tender, about 45 minutes.
- For the po campo assembly: Heat a deep fryer to 350 degrees F.
- Brush a tortilla with some of the whisked egg. Add 5 ounces of the pork carnitas, 2 ounces of the cheese and 4 ounces of the potatoes. Then fold in the sides and roll into a cylinder. Repeat with the remaining tortillas, carnitas, cheese and potatoes. Let stand 5 minutes, then fry until golden brown, about 7 minutes. Serve with Fire-Roasted Salsa and Queso/Cheese Sauce.
Fire-Roasted Salsa:
- Slice the tomatoes and onion into 1-inch rounds. De-stem the jalapeño and trim the green onions. Roast the tomatoes, onion, jalapeño, green onions and garlic on a metal rack over an open flame until the vegetables are charred on all sides.
- Heat a saucepot over medium heat. Add the charred vegetables to the saucepot and simmer until the vegetables are broken down, about 30 minutes. Then add the cilantro, lime juice and salt to taste. Puree with a hand blender until smooth. Serve with Mexican-inspired dishes or anything you want to jazz up.
Queso/Cheese Sauce:
- Combine the cheese, beer, milk and salsa in a large saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly until the cheese melts and the sauce is smooth. Thin with more milk if necessary or desired. Great with chips, tacos or hot dogs.