Wild Turkey Carnitas Recipe

Print Recipe

Carnitas – if you've never ordered the pork carnitas at Chipotle, you are missing out. It's a Mexican dish of braised meat that's pulled off the bone and crisped up on one side in a pan. That combo of crispy with meltingly tender meat is the perfect answer for an otherwise difficult meat to eat – turkey legs.

I prefer my turkey carnitas in soft tacos, with the traditional accompaniments: limes, onions, maybe some hot sauce, roasted chiles, and cilantro or parsley. Once you braise the meat and pull it off the bone, it will keep in the fridge for a week.

Serves: 4-6
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 2-4 hours

Ingredients:

• 2-4 turkey legs plus wings or thighs
• Salt
• 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 small cinnamon stick
• 2 cloves
• 3-5 dried small chiles
• 2 bay leaves
• ¼ cup lard or vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• Juice of an orange

Directions:

---