Carnitas Soup

Carnitas Soup

Carnitas! Everyone loves them. When you first hear that word if you’re just a silly gringo like myself, you think Chipotle, for better or worse. For me, it’s better because I love me some Chipotle. When it was at its boom levels in the mid-2000’s I was just a meathead in high school who loved getting 2 double meat burritos from Chipotle and downing them happily. My meat of choice when I would go was always Carnitas. It still is, it’s the perfect meat for Mexican food I feel. It’s soft, flavorful, and it will always melt in your mouth. Being a sheltered Persian kid, I never experienced any other form of Carnitas until I branched out on my own and cooked them myself.

Carnitas literally means, “little meats” and it originates from the state of Michoacán in Mexico. Typically a heavy marbled cut of pork is used, the ideal cut of pork is the pork shoulder or “Boston Butt.” It’s traditionally cooked confit by cooking it in lard or oil, the end result is a buttery delicious meat that melts in your mouth.

Now this recipe for Carnitas Soup can very easily serve as the basis  for any other typical Mexican dish like a Taco, Burrito, or Enchilada. I think it can stand on its own as a soup though. Instead of cooking the meat in lard, while that does sound ridiculously awesome, I cook it in a mixture of sauteed onions, garlic, spices, and broth. I used a pork roast instead of a shoulder, because that’s what I had in the freezer and it works just as good. It’s not as fatty as a shoulder cut so the broth helps to keep the meat juicy and tender.

If you have broth left over, freeze it and you have the perfect base for your next Mexican meat dish.

 

Carnitas Soup

Ingredients

1 lb of Pork Roast (cut into 4ths)

1 Orange Squeezed of its juice

1 Lime Squeezed of its juice

2 Tbsp. Garlic Powder

1 Jar of Chipotle Salsa

2 Cups of Chicken Broth

1/2 Tbsp. of Chili Powder

1 Tbsp. Cumin

2 Tsp. Salt

1/2 Tbsp. Paprika

1/2 Cup of Diced Onion

4 Cloves of Garlic Crushed

1 Tbsp. Oil

3 Bay Leaves

Method

Heat your oil in a large pot and then add your onions and garlic. Brown them, then add your garlic powder,chili powder, cumin, salt, and paprika.

Now add your pork roast, brown it on all of its sides. Then add your orange juice, lime juice, broth, and salsa. Stir together. Then add your bay leaves, and cook for 2 to 3 hours until the pork falls apart.

Spoon out the broth into a bowl, then add your pork, top with some cheese and then enjoy!