Pork Carnitas Tacos with Pickled Onion & Monterey Jack Cheese

At our local taqueria, a carnitas taco (or 5) is one of our go-to orders. After all, who can resist the rich flavor and tender texture of slow-roasted pork? Tonight, we’re creating a quick version with ground pork that uses carnitas-style seasonings: chili powder, garlic, and cumin, plus tomato paste for umami-packed richness and poblano pepper for smoky notes. It’s all stuffed into steamy tortillas with Monterey Jack cheese, pickled onion, tomato, and chipotle-lime crema—basically, everything we crave on taco night and then some.

Unbalanced

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Prep • Wash and dry all produce. • Halve and peel onion; very thinly slice one half and finely chop remaining onion. Core, deseed, and dice poblano into ½-inch pieces. Roughly chop cilantro. Halve lime; cut one half into wedges. Dice tomato. (not many items doubled for more servings, so some ingredients may need corrections.)

Step 2

Pickle Onion • In a medium bowl, combine sliced onion, vinegar, 2 tsp sugar, salt (we used ½ tsp), and 1 TBSP water. Stir until sugar and salt are mostly dissolved. Set aside, stirring occasionally, until ready to serve.

Step 3

Cook Pork • Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add pork* and season with salt and pepper. Cook, breaking up meat into pieces, until browned and cooked through, 4-6 minutes. • Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Step 4

Make Filling • Heat another drizzle of olive oil in same pan over medium-high heat. Add poblano and chopped onion; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until softened, 3-4 minutes. • Return pork to pan along with Southwest Spice, stock concentrate, half the tomato paste (all for 4 servings), and ¼ cup water (1/3 cup for 4). Cook, scraping up any browned bits from bottom of pan, until mixture is thickened and saucy, 1-2 minutes more.

Step 5

Mix Crema & Warm Tortillas • While filling cooks, in a small bowl, combine sour cream, juice from lime half to taste, and a pinch of chipotle powder (add more to taste if you like things spicy). Stir in water 1 tsp at a time until mixture reaches a drizzling consistency. Season with salt and pepper. • Wrap tortillas in damp paper towels and microwave until warm and pliable, 30 seconds.

Step 6

Serve • Divide tortillas between plates; fill with pork filling, tomato, Monterey Jack, cilantro, pickled onion (draining first), and crema. (TIP: Alternatively, you can put everything in individual serving bowls and let everyone assemble their own tacos.) Serve with lime wedges on the side.

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