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Crispy Carnitas with Homemade Tortillas
WHILE AMIGOS IN OWENTON is my favorite Mexican eatery, I know I can recreate Ernesto’s carnitas at home when I don’t feel like going out. This is a super easy recipe that your family will ask for over and over. The key is to season with your heart and don’t be afraid to experiment. As for the homemade tortillas, you’ll be glad you did it and you’ll find these are easy and so much better homemade than store bought. I hope you enjoy this as much as the House of McNally does.
For Carnitas:
1 Pork Butt
2 tbsp. Chili Powder
2 tbsp. Cumin
2 tbsp. Onion Powder
2 tbsp. Garlic Powder
1 tbsp. Sea Salt
1 tbsp. Black Pepper
1 tbsp. Red Chili Flakes
Olive Oil
For Tortillas:
2 Cups Masa
2 Cups Hot Water
1 Tbsp. Sea Salt
For Carnitas: Mix together spices and drizzle oil over entire pork butt. Add spices to butt, and depending on the size of your pork, you may have leftover spices. Keep that in a sealed container for the next batch. Add your butt to a crockpot with the fat side up and slow cook on low until internal temperature is 145-degrees. This will take about eight hours. Once pork has reached doneness, shred and in batches, add to a hot skillet with olive oil to reach the desired crispiness.
For Tortillas: Mix hot water to masa until you have a play-dough like consistency. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes in a bowl covered with a damp kitchen towel. Form dough into 2 tbsp. balls and place in an unzipped ziplock bag and either use a tortilla press or rolling pin to press into a 4” tortilla. Heat a skillet on medium-high heat and cook tortillas for one minute per side. Keep cooked tortillas in a kitchen towel or a tortilla warmer until ready to serve.
I assemble mine with homemade tortillas, thinly-sliced radish, pico de gallo, cojito cheese, and a mixture of mayonnaise and hot sauce. Enjoy!
LYNDSI McNALLY is a resident of Owen County, wife, and mother of two boys. She makes her living as a Family Support Worker for HANDS at the Three Rivers District Health Department and often entertains her hundreds of Facebook followers by sharing photos of home-cooked meals.