Pork Carne Adovada Tacos (from Jennifer Clark)

Pork Carne Adovada Tacos

This recipe is from my FAVORITE Mexican restaurant here in SLC. They are so good that they were featured on Diners, Drive Ins and Dives! 

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons ground cumin 

2 tablespoons chili powder, California 

2 tablespoons chili powder, New Mexican 

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper 

1 tablespoon salt, kosher, plus more to taste 

1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground 

1 teaspoon garlic powder 

3 lbs pork butt, trimmed and sliced 1/4 inch thick 

2 cups oil, vegetable 

5 whole cloves 

2 bay leaves 

20 (6 inch) tortillas white corn heated 

Diced onion, for serving 

Cilantro leaf, chopped coarsely 

Lime wedge, for serving 

Directions: 

Mix cumin, chile powder, cayenne, 1 T salt, pepper, and garllic powder in a 9 by 13inch baking dish. Toss the meat with the spice mixture to coat competely. Stir in the oil, cloves, and bay leaves. Cover with foil and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight. Remove the meat from the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake the meat, covered, for 1 hour or until it is tender. Allow the meat to cool slighty, then remove it from the liquid with a slotted spoon and chop into bite-size pieces. Spoon off some of the oil floating on top of the cooking liquid, and reserve. Heat a griddle or skillet over medium-heat. Spoon a bit of the reserved oil onto the griddle, add some of the meat(mix up the leaner and fattier pieces so everyone gets some of both), season with salt, and cook, tossing, until hot and starting to crisp. To serve, overlap 2 tortillas on each plate, top with 1/2 cup meat, some onions, and a sprinkle of chopped cilatro. Squeeze lime juice over all.