Pork Shank Carnitas Platter Recipe - Home Chef (2024)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and prepare a baking sheet with foil. Thoroughly rinse produce and pat dry. Quarter 4 corn tortillas. Cut Roma tomatoes into 1/4" dice. Stem jalapeño, discard seeds, and slice into thin strips (julienne). Peel and halve red onion. Cut into 1/4" dice. Stem and coarsely chop cilantro. Zest lime, cut in half, and juice. Slice radish into thin rounds. Remove pork shank from packaging and discard packaging. Remove meat from bone into a medium mixing bowl. You can include the gelatinized meat juices for extra flavor. Using forks, shred meat into bite-sized pieces, then add carnitas seasoning blend to bowl and mix thoroughly.

Place quartered tortillas on prepared baking sheet and toss with 1 tsp. olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Bake 8-10 minutes, or until chips become crispy. Remove from oven and set aside. Leave oven on for warming remaining tortillas.

Bring a small pot with seasoned rice vinegar, a pinch of salt, and 2 Tbsp. water to a boil over high heat. Add jalapeño and radishes and cook 1 minute. Remove from heat and set aside to pickle for at least 10 minutes. Season with a pinch of pepper. Drain pickled vegetables before serving.

In a small bowl, combine diced Roma tomatoes, half the lime zest, red onion (to taste), cilantro (reserving a bit for garnish), 2 tsp. lime juice, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix and place in refrigerator until ready to plate.

Wrap remaining tortillas in a foil packet and set directly on oven rack for 5-10 minutes. Heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil in a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat and add seasoned meat to pan. If using a medium non-stick pan, work in batches to avoid overcrowding. Allow to cook undisturbed for 5 minutes, or until meat is crisp and lightly brown. Stir meat and cook an additional 5 minutes until a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees is reached.

Garnish sour cream with remaining lime zest. Place carnitas on a large platter along with pickled veggies and garnish with remaining cilantro. Serve carnitas with warmed tortillas, sour cream, chips, and salsa. Build your own tacos by heaping any or all of the above onto tortillas, and enjoy!