Carnitas Taco

Literally meaning “little meats,” carnitas most often refers to nuggets or shreds of pork that have been slowly braised until tender. Being small, carnitas make a good filling for tacos, especially when the shreds are nestled in a soft corn tortilla with beans and slaw as they are at White Duck Taco in Asheville, North Carolina. At San Diego’s La Fachada, carnitas are well endowed with fat that supplies rapturous flavor reminiscent of cracklins. In Tijuana, Erizo Cocina de Mariscos pairs its carnitas with strips of octopus carpaccio. Los Cinco Puntos in Los Angeles fills freshly-made tortillas with carnitas, guacamole, pico de gallo, and cactus pads.