Mexican Pork Belly Carnitas Al Pastor Lettuce Tacos

Ingredients

• 1.5 lb Pork belly, skin removed, cut into 2-inch chunks
• 3 tbsp Achiote paste
• 1/4 cup Orange juice
• 2 tbsp Lime juice
• 1 tbsp Apple cider vinegar
• 4 cloves Garlic, minced
• 1 tsp Dried Mexican oregano
• 1 tsp Ground cumin
• 1 tsp Chipotle powder
• 1.5 tsp Salt
• 9 leaves Romaine lettuce leaves
• 1/2 cup Salsa verde
• 1/4 cup Cotija cheese, crumbled
• 1/4 cup White onion, finely diced
• 2 tbsp Fresh cilantro, chopped(optional)
• 3 Lime wedges(optional)

Instructions

1. 1

   Prep (35 min): Cut pork belly into 2-inch chunks. Whisk together achiote paste, orange juice, lime juice, apple cider vinegar, garlic, oregano, cumin, chipotle powder, and salt to form a marinade. Coat the pork thoroughly and marinate at room temperature while you prep remaining ingredients.

2. 2

   Sear: Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the marinated pork belly chunks and sear on all sides until browned, about 8 minutes total.

3. 3

   Braise (2 hours): Pour in 1/2 cup water, cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer gently, turning occasionally, until pork is fork-tender, about 2 hours.

4. 4

   Crisp (30 min): Remove lid, increase heat to medium, and let the rendered fat and braising liquid reduce, tossing the pork until edges are crispy and glazed, about 30 minutes. Shred or chop the pork coarsely in the pan.

5. 5

   Assemble: Spoon the crispy carnitas into romaine lettuce leaves. Top with salsa verde, crumbled cotija, diced white onion, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime. Serve immediately.