Miguel Torres’s Carnitas

Name: Miguel Torres’s Carnitas
Yield: serves 12, with leftovers
Ingredients: 8 pounds boneless pork shoulder; 2 cups lard; 3 tablespoons kosher salt; 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 4 dried bay leaves; 1 cup whole milk; 1 cup Coca-Cola; 1 orange, cut in half; Jalapeño and Red Onion Escabèche (recipe follows); Green Cabbage Salad (recipe follows); Salsa Verde and/or Salsa Roja; Warm corn tortillas, for serving; 10 jalapeños, halved, seeded if desired, and thinly sliced lengthwise; 4 medium red onions, thinly sliced; 1/2 cup Escabeche Dressing (page 240); (makes 3 cups); 1 small head (about 1 pound) of green cabbage; 2 medium carrots; 1 bunch of radishes; 1/2 cup Escabeche Dressing (page 240); (makes 4 cups)

December 9, 2011

On the few nights that he is not at Lantern, Miguel cooks Mexican at home. He has not seen his family since moving to North Carolina in 1999, and the goal of his home cooking is to make his dishes taste as close to his mother’s and grandmother’s as possible with the ingredients he can get here. He thinks that he is getting close with these carnitas.

Recipe notes

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