Crisp Carnitas Burritos

Crisp Carnitas Burritos

makes about 16 burritos

(America)

This is a real All-American Burrito . . . . All-American?  What could possibly be more All-American than Coke-Cola?  This adaption of Mexican carnitas uses coke as one of its main ingredients to create a truly delicious fried burrito.  Additionally, after removing the meat, adding lime juice, and thickening the remaining liquid with a corn starch slurry produces a great tasting dipping sauce.

 

Ingredients

for the carnitas:

 3-4 pound pork butt

2 tablespoons  vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

1 12-ounce  can of coke (not diet)

2 cups orange juice

2 tablespoons  brown sugar

2 cups salsa, homemade or commercial

Kosher or sea salt, to taste

freshly ground  black pepper, to taste

Juice of 1 lime

thickening slurry composed of 2 tablespoons corn starch mixed into 2 tablespoons of COLD water

for the burritos:

16 medium flour tortilla shells

16 wooden tooth picks

vegetable oil for frying

Preparation

the carnitas:

the carnitas:

1.  Heat the vegetable oil in a deep, heavy frying pan  over medium-high heat. While it’s getting hot, rub the pork with salt and pepper.

2.  Gently place the pork in the hot oil and sear all sides until nicely browned.   Meanwhile in a large bowl  or large measuring cup combine the coke, the orange juice, the salsa, the cayenne, and the brown sugar and add it to a large slow cooker set to high.

3.  Remove the browned pork to the slow cooker containing the cooking liquid, cover and cook until the pork is literally falling apart when poked with a fork, about 2-3 hours.

4.  Remove the meat to a clean work surface and, when it is cool enough to handled,  shred it in a similar fashion to the way you would for pulled pork.

5.   Remove the liquid to a large sauce  pan over high heat, stir in the lime juice and bring to a boil.  When the sauce comes to a boil stir in the thickening slurry and continue stirring until the sauce thickens.  Correct seasoning with salt, black pepper, and cayenne.

6.   Remove the pan from the stove and transfer 3/4 of the thickened sauce to a serving dish, lower the heat to low and return the sauce pan containing the remaining 1/4 of the sauce to the heat, add the meat and stir to thoroughly coat the meat.  Turn off the burner under the pan.

constructing and frying the burritos:

1.  Working with one tortilla shell at a time, place a tortilla shell in front of you, spread about 3 or 4 tablespoons of the carnitas evenly over the surface of the shell and,  beginning at side closest to you, tightly roll the shell (jelly roll style) away from you until it is fully rolled up, push one toothpick through the roll pinning the loose end in place.   Continue until all the shells and carnitas are used up.

2.  Heat about 1/2-inch of vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium heat until the ripple stage.

3.  Add 1 or 2 of the burritos to the hot oil and fry for about a minute on each side until each burrito is golden and crispy.  Remove the fried burritos to a paper towel lined dish to absorb excess oil.

4.  Serve the burritos immediately accompanied by the thickened  sauce and guacamole  for dunking.

constructing and frying the burritos:

1.  Working with one tortilla shell at a time, place a tortilla shell in front of you, spread about 3 or 4 tablespoons of the carnitas evenly over the surface of the shell and,  beginning at side closest to you, tightly roll the shell (jelly roll style) away from you until it is fully rolled up, push one toothpick through the roll pinning the loose end in place.   Continue until all the shells and carnitas are used up.

2.  Heat about 1/2-inch of vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium heat until the ripple stage.  

3.  Add 1 or 2 of the burritos to the hot oil and fry for about a minute on each side until each burrito is golden and crispy.  Remove the fried burritos to a paper towel lined dish to absorb excess oil.

4.  Serve the burritos immediately accompanied by the thickened  sauce and guacamole  for dunking.