SIZZLE & SCORE
WHEN THE GAME IS ON THE LINE
S&S GAME PLAN

Crispy Pork
Carnitas Tacos

with Mexican Red Rice & Crunchy Avocado-Lime Slaw

Slow-braised pork with crispy edges, warm tortillas, Mexican red rice and cold avocado-lime slaw. Big flavor, relaxed taco-night energy and most of the hard work happens before she gets there.

Date-night patio dinner with Crispy Pork Carnitas Tacos, Mexican red rice, avocado-lime slaw and Modelo Especial
♨
SERVES
2
◷
PREP
25 MIN
♨
COOK
2½ HRS
★
DIFFICULTY
★★☆☆☆

WHAT YOU’RE MAKING

Crispy Pork
Carnitas Tacos
Mexican
Red Rice
Crunchy
Avocado-Lime Slaw

THE DRINKS

Tequila Sunrise

PER PERSON
2 oz tequila
4 oz orange juice
½ oz grenadine
Ice
Orange slice
Cherry
Fill a glass with ice. Add the tequila and orange juice. Slowly pour the grenadine down the inside of the glass and let it settle to the bottom. Garnish with an orange slice and cherry. Don’t stir it—the sunrise is the whole damn point.
Learning Point — Build the Sunrise Grenadine is heavier than orange juice, so pouring it last lets it sink naturally and creates that red-to-orange gradient.

DINNER DRINK: Switch to an ice-cold Modelo Especial when dinner hits the table. Crisp, easy and exactly where taco night wants to go.

WHAT YOU NEED

Crispy Pork Carnitas

  • 1½ lb boneless pork shoulder, cut into roughly 2-inch chunks
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • ½ tsp chili powder
  • ½ tsp smoked paprika
  • 4 garlic cloves, smashed
  • ½ small yellow onion, roughly chopped
  • Juice of 1 orange
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • ½ cup chicken broth
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 Tbsp avocado or vegetable oil
Secret Weapon — The Braising Liquid
Don't dump it. Spoon it back over the shredded pork before and during broiling. That's how you get crispy edges without turning your carnitas into pork-flavored roofing material.

For the Tacos

  • 6–8 small tortillas of choice
  • ¼ small white onion, finely diced
  • Fresh cilantro, chopped
  • Lime wedges
  • Crumbled cotija, optional

Crunchy Avocado-Lime Slaw

  • 1 cup finely shredded green cabbage
  • 1 cup finely shredded purple cabbage
  • ½ ripe avocado
  • 2 Tbsp Mexican crema or sour cream
  • 1 Tbsp mayonnaise
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
  • ½ small jalapeño, finely minced, optional
  • ¼ tsp kosher salt
  • Black pepper, to taste

Mexican Red Rice

  • ¾ cup long-grain white rice
  • 1 Tbsp avocado or vegetable oil
  • ¼ small yellow onion, finely diced
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • ¼ cup tomato sauce
  • 1¼ cups chicken broth
  • ½ tsp ground cumin
  • ½ tsp kosher salt

Gear

  • Dutch oven with lid
  • Sheet pan
  • Medium saucepan with lid
  • Large mixing bowl
  • Small bowl for slaw dressing
  • Tongs
  • 2 forks for shredding
  • Cutting board
  • Chef’s knife

BEFORE SHE GETS THERE

  • Get the pork braising early. Sear it, build the braise and get the Dutch oven into the 325°F oven. Once that lid goes on, you've bought yourself a couple hours of freedom.
  • Prep the taco stuff. Dice the white onion, chop the cilantro, cut the lime wedges and crumble the cotija. Cover everything and refrigerate.
  • Prep the slaw—but keep it separated. Shred the green and purple cabbage and make the avocado-lime dressing. Refrigerate them separately. Do not dress the slaw yet.
  • Get the drinks cold. Modelo in the fridge. Orange juice cold. Ice ready. Tequila doesn't need babysitting.
  • Clean the evidence. Pork prep can make a kitchen look like a crime scene. Cutting board away, counters wiped, sink empty.
  • Clean yourself up. Shower, clean shirt, brush your teeth. Easy on the cologne—she should notice it when she gets close, not when she pulls into the driveway.
  • Set the room. Music on. Lights down. Table ready. Taco night can still look like you planned this shit.
  • Hit the bathroom. Wipe the sink, empty the trash, replace the toilet paper. You’re hosting a date, not running a gas station.
Pork handled.
Place ready.
You’re ready. It’s game time.

PLAY BY PLAY

  1. GET THE PORK READY
    Heat the oven to 325°F. Pat 1½ lb boneless pork shoulder dry and cut it into roughly 2-inch chunks. Season with 1 tsp kosher salt, ½ tsp black pepper, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp dried oregano, ½ tsp chili powder and ½ tsp smoked paprika.
  2. PUT SOME COLOR ON IT
    Heat 1 Tbsp avocado or vegetable oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high. Sear the pork for 2–3 minutes per side until you have good brown spots. Don't obsess over every square inch. You're making carnitas, not detailing a car.
  3. BUILD THE BRAISE
    Add ½ small roughly chopped yellow onion and 4 smashed garlic cloves. Cook about 1 minute. Add the juice of 1 orange, juice of 1 lime, ½ cup chicken broth and 1 bay leaf. Scrape up the browned bits and bring everything to a simmer.
LEARNING MOMENT — LOW & SLOW Pork shoulder gets tender because time and gentle heat break down the tough connective tissue. If the pork fights your forks later, it isn't ruined—it just needs more time.

S&S Move: Don't cook by the clock alone. Tender pork pulls apart without an argument.
  1. LET THE DUTCH OVEN EARN ITS KEEP
    Cover the Dutch oven and put it in the 325°F oven for 2–2½ hours. Start checking around the 2-hour mark. When the pork pulls apart easily with two forks, you're there.
  2. MAKE THE AVOCADO-LIME DRESSING
    Mash ½ ripe avocado with 2 Tbsp Mexican crema or sour cream, 1 Tbsp mayonnaise, the juice of 1 lime, ¼ tsp kosher salt and black pepper to taste. Refrigerate it separately from the cabbage.
  3. START THE MEXICAN RED RICE
    Heat 1 Tbsp avocado or vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium. Add ¾ cup long-grain white rice and toast for 2–3 minutes until some grains are lightly golden. Add ¼ small finely diced yellow onion and cook 2 minutes. Add 1 minced garlic clove and cook another 30 seconds.
  4. TURN IT RED
    Stir in ¼ cup tomato sauce, 1¼ cups chicken broth, ½ tsp ground cumin and ½ tsp kosher salt. Bring it to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and cook 15–18 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it rest covered for 5 minutes. Don't lift the lid. Don't stir it. The rice knows what it's doing.
  5. SHRED THE PORK
    Transfer the tender pork to a sheet pan and shred it with two forks. Save the braising liquid. Spoon about ¼ cup of that liquid over the shredded pork. That's not dirty dishwater. That's your secret weapon.
LEARNING MOMENT — CRISPY WITHOUT DRY The broiler gives you the crispy edges. The braising liquid keeps the inside juicy. You want both.

Save that liquid until the carnitas are on the plate. It's your insurance policy.
  1. NOW MAKE IT CARNITAS
    Broil the shredded pork for 3–5 minutes until the edges start getting dark and crispy. Toss it, spoon over another 2–3 Tbsp braising liquid, then broil another 2–3 minutes.
    YO DUDE!
    You're looking for dark crispy edges with juicy pork underneath. Don't wait for every shred to turn brown. That's how dinner becomes mulch.
    S&S SAVE
    Pork starting to look dry? Stop broiling and hit it with some of the reserved cooking juices. Crispy is the goal. Mummified is not.
  2. GET TACO NIGHT READY
    Finely dice ¼ small white onion, chop the fresh cilantro, cut the lime wedges and get the crumbled cotija ready if you're using it. Warm 6–8 small tortillas in a dry skillet for 20–30 seconds per side.
  3. DRESS THE SLAW — NOW, NOT EARLIER
    Combine 1 cup finely shredded green cabbage, 1 cup finely shredded purple cabbage, 2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro and ½ small finely minced jalapeño if you're using it. Add the chilled avocado-lime dressing and toss lightly. Taste and adjust with lime or salt if needed.
  4. BUILD THE TACOS
    Load the warm tortillas with crispy carnitas, diced white onion, cilantro, optional cotija and a squeeze of lime. Plate them with the Mexican red rice and crunchy avocado-lime slaw. Crack open two cold Modelo Especials.
  5. SERVE IT
    Hot pork. Cold crunchy slaw. Warm tortillas. Red rice. Cold Modelo. You spent half the afternoon making pork fall apart. The least you can do is eat it while it's crispy.

THE TIMELINE

3:30
Start the pork. Oven to 325°F. Cut and season the pork. Get the Dutch oven heating.
3:40
Sear it. Give the pork 2–3 minutes per side. You're building flavor now so you don't have to fake it later.
3:55
Build the braise. Onion, garlic, orange, lime, broth and bay leaf. Scrape up those browned bits.
4:00
Dutch oven in. Lid on. 325°F. Now the oven does the heavy lifting.
4:15
Prep while you've got time. Make the avocado-lime dressing. Shred the cabbage. Prep onion, cilantro, jalapeño, cotija and lime. Keep the slaw dressing separate.
5:00
Reset the kitchen. Clean the evidence. Set the table. Modelo and orange juice into the fridge.
5:45
Get yourself ready. Shower. Clean shirt. Teeth. Two sprays of cologne—not fogging for mosquitoes.
6:00
Check the pork. Give it the fork test. If it fights back, lid on and give it more time.
6:25
Start the red rice. Toast the rice, add onion and garlic, then tomato sauce, broth, cumin and salt.
6:45
Rice rests. Heat off. Lid stays on. The rice knows what it's doing.
6:50
Pork ready. Shred it and keep the braising liquid. Hold the pork juicy until you're ready to crisp it.
6:55
Final reset. Music on. Lights down. Glasses ready. Slaw is still undressed.
7:00
She's here. Door. Smile. Date. The pork can survive five minutes without you.
7:05
Make the Tequila Sunrises. Hand her a drink. Have one with her. You're hosting now—not competing on a cooking show.
7:15
Crisp the carnitas. Pork under the broiler. Add braising liquid between rounds.
7:23
Warm the tortillas. Dry skillet. 20–30 seconds per side. Keep them warm under a clean towel.
7:27
Dress the slaw. Dressing meets cabbage now—not 45 minutes ago. Toss lightly.
7:30
Build + plate. Carnitas tacos, red rice and crunchy slaw. Modelo ready.
7:35
Dinner. Pork crispy. Beer cold. Phone away.

★ BONUS POINTS

  • WARM THE TORTILLAS RIGHT.
    Give them 20–30 seconds per side in a dry skillet, then stack them under a clean kitchen towel. Warm and flexible beats cold and cracking all over your shirt.
  • CHILL THE MODELO.
    Get the beer properly cold before dinner. Crispy carnitas and warm beer is a partnership nobody asked for.
  • KILL THE OVERHEAD LIGHTS.
    Lamp. Candles. Music. Taco night deserves better than lighting that makes your kitchen look like a convenience store at 2 a.m.
  • HAVE THE FIRST DRINK WITH HER.
    Make the Tequila Sunrises and get away from the stove for a few minutes. She came over to spend time with you. The pork does not need emotional support.

★ THE FINISH

Stop cooking. Start the date.
  1. Clear the dinner plates. Taco wreckage off the table. The kitchen can wait.
  2. Refresh the drinks. Another Tequila Sunrise, crack another Modelo, or whatever you two are feeling.
  3. Change the scenery. Couch. Patio. Fireplace. Somewhere that doesn't feel like you're still at dinner.
  4. Put the phone away. You already got the food picture. The rest of the night doesn't need an audience.
  5. YOU PULLED IT OFF. You turned a chunk of pork into crispy carnitas and somehow kept the slaw crunchy. Your work here is done.

    Good food leads to amazing nights.
THE S&S PHOTO RULE Looks like the picture?
No? Perfect!
It doesn’t look like Gordon Ramsay plated it? Good. He’s not invited anyway. Our pictures are for inspiration--not intimidation. Your tacos leaned sideways? One exploded on the plate? Congratulations. You made tacos. Eat them while they're hot. Honest effort, amazing food and that night is young...
Crispy Pork Carnitas Tacos with Mexican Red Rice and Crunchy Avocado-Lime Slaw