Pork Carnitas with Homemade Tortillas is one of my favourite weekend meals. I love the combination of the spicy pork with fresh lime juice, pico de gallo, and sour cream over a warm corn tortilla.

The first time I had pork carnitas I was on a beach in Mexico in my early twenties. Before that, I always thought of tacos in the “Tex-Mex” style with ground beef and cheese. One taste of the Carnita from the beach, and I was hooked on a whole new style. While it’s not realistic to jump on a plane every time I get a craving, I can try my best to duplicate the recipe at home.

The process for this dish takes a while, but it’s not difficult! I’ll break down the recipe for the corn tortillas, the pork, the pico de gallo, and the cilantro lime sour cream. I will list the ingredients for each component first, followed by the instructions.

Ingredients for Pork Carnitas: 

2-3lbs of Pork Shoulder
1 Tablespoon Dried Oregano
2 Tablespoons Sea Salt/Kosher Salt
1 Tablespoon Fresh Cracked Peppercorn
1 Tablespoon of Cumin
1 Tablespoon of Chili Powder
1/2 Tablespoon of Cayenne Pepper
2 Bay Leaves
1 Onion, Diced
4 Cloves of Garlic, Minced
1 Jalapeno, Diced
1 Lime (Juice)
2 Small Orange (Juice)
1/2 Cup Coca-Cola (Trust me)

Ingredients for Homemade Corn Tortillas: 

2 Cups of Masa Flour
1 1/4 Cups of Warm Water (Plus a couple of tablespoons)
1 Tablespoon of Sea Salt or Kosher Salt
(You will need Parchment Paper or a Tortilla Maker)

Ingredients for Pico De Gallo: 

5 Roma Tomatoes (Diced)
1/4 White Onion (Diced)
1/2 Jalapeno (Diced)
2 Cloves of Garlic (Minced)
1 Lime (Juice)
A Handful of Diced Cilantro
Sea Salt and Cracked Peppercorn (To Taste)

Ingredients for Cilantro Lime Sour Cream: 

1 Cup of Sour Cream
1 Lime (Juice)
Handful of Diced Cilantro
Sea Salt and Cracked Peppercorn (To Taste)

Garnishes: 

Fresh Cilantro, Limes, Diced Jalapenos, and Diced Onion

Instructions for Pork Carnitas on Homemade Tortillas: 

1: Mix all of the Pork Carnitas ingredients together in a slow cooker. Turn heat to “low”, and leave to simmer for 6-8 hours.

2: Gather your ingredients for Pico De Gallo. Mix your diced tomatoes, diced onions, diced jalapenos, minced garlic, lime juice, salt, and freshly cracked pepper together. Stir well, and refrigerate.

3: Gather your ingredients for Homemade Corn Tortillas. Mix 2 cups of Masa flour and sea salt, with 1 and 1/4 cup of warm water. Mix your dough. If the dough is still dry, add additional water one tablespoon at a time. Once your dough maintains its shape, place in a bowl and wrap in plastic wrap. Set aside to rest for 1 hour.

4: Gather your ingredients for Cilantro Lime Sour Cream. Mix sour cream, diced cilantro, lime juice, and salt and pepper together in a bowl. Refrigerate.

5: After the dough for your corn tortillas has rested for one hour, preheat cast iron over medium-high heat. A tortilla maker makes the following process very simple, however, I do not have one, so I will explain how I made the tortillas without one:

Separate your dough into 6 or 8 sections. Take two pieces of parchment paper, and place a dough ball between them. With a rolling pin, roll out your dough as thin as you can in between the sheets. With a circle cookie cutter (or the rim of a glass) – cut as many circles in your dough as you can. Immediately place your circles of dough on hot cast iron.  Allow them to cook for 1-2 minutes on each side, depending on their thickness. Repeat process until all of your dough has been cooked.

6: Cover Tortillas and refrigerate.

7: When your Pork Shoulder is cooked, shred it with forks.

8: Preheat the broiler in your oven.

9: Place shredded pork and some juice on a cookie sheet. Season with additional salt and chili spice if required. Slide it under the broiler for 3-5 minutes, or until the ends of your pork is slightly crispy.

10: Warm up corn tortillas, and assemble pork, pico de gallo, sour cream, and garnishes. Serve immediately

Enjoy!