One of my favorite childhood memories is going to Olvera Street in downtown Los Angeles and eating at La Luz del Dia, the restaurant on the corner of the plaza. The carnitas soft tacos are sooooo delicious. To this day, my brothers know how to make their big sister happy. On their way through LA, they cruise by and pick up a pound of carnitas and a stack of corn tortillas.
Carnitas means “little meats” in Spanish. It is a seasoned, roasted shredded pork filling used for tacos. So good!
Though I consider “Olvera Street carnitas” to be the gold standard of shredded pork tacos, I do make an equivalent of sorts at home. It’s cheaper, that’s for sure, and a little easier to achieve than a drive to the City of Angels. Though “carnitas purists” may disagree, you can make this in your crockpot for a simple and delicious dinner.
Carnitas Soft Tacos
3-4 pound pork shoulder roastsalt and pepper1 onion, chopped1/2 teaspoon dried oregano1/4 cup waterPlace pork roast in crockpot. Season with salt and pepper. Add chopped onion and spinkle with oregano. Add water to pot. Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for about 4. Meat should fall apart. Remove from pot. Save juices for chili, stew, or soup. Shred meat and serve with corn tortillas and guacamole.To freeze: Cool meat completely and place in ziptop freezer bags. Squeeze out excess air and freeze.
Do you have a favorite taco memory?
For more delicious ideas, visit Tasty Tuesday.
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I do have a favorite taco memory – in high school we went to Tulum, Mexico and had the most phenomenal fish tacos I’ve ever eaten. They are the standard by which I judge fish tacos. Simple, fresh and delicious.
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Are the tortillas homemade? They look yummy too!
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Jessica Reply:
August 13th, 2010 at 6:33 am
Yes, FishPapa makes the tortillas himself.
Read the tutorial.
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Tina Reply:
September 12th, 2010 at 3:43 pm
Thanks!
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Just had these tonight! Everyone loved the meat so much- delicious! Next time, I think I’ll use flour tortillas. I’m sure that’s less authentic… but it seems to be the preference of every one of us.
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Jessica Reply:
September 18th, 2010 at 2:52 pm
@JessieLeigh, glad you liked it. And, no flour tortillas are not authentic, but neither are store-bought corn tortillas. So, I’m glad you’re gonna go with what suits your tastes. When you someday come visit us, we’ll make homemade corn tortillas for you.
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I used to think oregano only went in Italian dishes, but when I make my homemade salsa or refried beans, I do add oregano in addition to the cumin, salt and olive oil.
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Jessica Reply:
January 7th, 2012 at 6:36 pm
There are several varieties of oregano, including Mexican and French, so that is probably where the confusion comes in.
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PS I am drooling over the guacamole.
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