*Note: I was going to post this on Sunday but my computer decided to go on the fritz, so I couldn't upload until today. Sorry the recipe is a bit late. :)
I made a couple filled with queso fresco (as you will see in the pictures) for my daughter because the carnitas were too spicy for her.
Flautas
(filled with carnitas and cheese)
makes a lot*
recipe for the carnitas adapted from here
- 2-3 lbs pork shoulder
- 2 cups salsa verde (that's the kind we always use)
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3-4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 3 cups chicken stock (or whatever kind you have on hand)
- 2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- queso fresco
- corn tortillas
- frying oil
- toothpicks
- toppings (crumbled queso fresco, crema and cilantro)
Salsa Verde Carnitas
Trim the excess fat from the pork shoulder roast. Put the roast, salsa verde, onion, garlic, stock, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, coriander, and oregano in a large, thick-bottomed pot over high heat.
Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.
Cover and simmer for about 2 1/2 hours, or until meat pulls away easily with a fork.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Remove meat from liquid in pot and put meat into a roasting pan lined with aluminum foil. With 2 forks, tear the meat into large shreds. Spread out in an even layer.
Roast for 15-20 minutes until the shreds are brown and crispy.
While the meat is roasting, reduce the liquid remaining in the pot to about half.
Return the browned meat to the pot with the liquid. Season with salt.
Flautas
Pour about 3/4 of an inch of oil into your pan (I use my cast iron pan here) and heat to about 300 degrees. If you don't have a candy thermometer, test the oil by sticking in the handle of a wooden spoon, and if bubbles appear around the spoon the oil is hot enough.
While the oil is heating, start assembling the the flautas. (If the tortillas are too stiff, microwave them in a stack for about 30 seconds to make them more pliable.) Lay out one tortilla and fill it down the middle with a couple tablespoons worth of carnitas and fold the sides of the tortilla over and secure with a toothpick. Continue assembling flautas until you are out of tortillas or carnitas (I made one package of corn tortillas worth, makes about 15 flautas, with plenty of leftover carnitas for later.)
Place the filled tortillas in the hot oil and fry on each side for about a minute or until they are crispy and golden. Place the fried flautas on a paper towel lined plate as they finish.
Don't forget to remove the toothpicks before you serve them!
Top with crema, crumbled queso fresco, and chopped cilantro.
Serve immediately.
The above picture is of my daughters flautas. They are filled with chunks of queso fresco and topped with crema and more queso fresco. She loves them as you can see below.
