Carnitas

Carnitas
Ingredients:
3 pounds of pork butt, with plenty of fat or if it is very lean a little lard
1 cup of orange juice
2  cups of water
1 can of coke
2 teaspoons of salt

Method:
1. Cut pork into chunks (2 inches by 2 inches), add to a large pot with the liquids and salt. Bring to a boil and then simmer uncovered on low for 2 hours. Do not touch the meat.
2. After two hours, turn heat up to medium high, and continue to cook until all the liquid has evaporated and the pork fat has rendered (about 45 minutes). Stir a few times, to keep pork from sticking to bottom of pan.
3. When pork has browned on both sides, it’s ready (there will be liquid fat in the pan). Serve either cubed or shredded (pork will be tender enough that just touching it will cause it to fall apart).
Goes very well with a green salsas
Serves 4-6

Tomatillo Salsa
Ingredients:
1 pound tomatillos (about 12-16), husked and cut in half
2 cloves of garlic
1 or 2 serrano chiles, stems and seeds removed, chopped
1/4 medium yellow onion
1/4 cup of chopped cilantro
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon of lard or canola oil
Salt to taste

Method:
Add the tomatillos, garlic, serrano chiles, onion, cilantro and cumin into a blender. Blend until it has a smooth consistency.

In a saucepot on medium-low heat, heat up the lard or oil. Pour the blended salsa into the pan and cook while occasionally stirring for 10 minutes. Taste the salsa and add salt and adjust the seasonings. Can serve hot or cold.

Fresh Corn tortillas
Ingredients:
2 cups masa harina I like Maseca brand
1 1/4 cups of HOT water almost to the point of boiling
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Method:
Cut a quart freezer bag at the zipper and up the sides the width of your tortilla press.
Mix the masa harina and baking powderthen the salt and warm water then miz together until a dough is formed.
Knead dough for about five minutes until smooth.
Divide into 12 equal-sized balls.
Heat an un-greased skillet, griddle or comal until very hot.
Place the plastic on the press, open it leaving the seem to the back of the press  put a ball of dough on it, and then lay the other piece on top.
Press out the tortilla.
Take the tortilla wrapped in plastic off the press, gently peel off the plastic and place tortilla in hot skillet.
Cook thirty seconds on one side, flip it, and cook a minute on other side. It should start to puff a bit. Flip it again and cook thirty seconds on the first side.
Place cooked tortilla in a basket lined with cloth or, if you have one, a tortilla warmer.
Repeat process for remaining balls of dough.