Turkey Carnitas with Green Mojo
Shredded cooked turkey replaces the more traditional shredded pork in this riff on carnitas tacos, served with a sauce inspired by Cuban mojo.
Ingredients
Mojo
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1 ½ cups loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves
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6 tablespoons fresh orange juice (from 2 oranges)
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¼ cup fresh lime juice (from 2 limes)
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1 small (1/2-ounce) serrano chile, unseeded, chopped (about 1 1/2 tablespoons)
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1 medium garlic clove, smashed
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¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
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½ teaspoon kosher salt
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¼ teaspoon black pepper
Turkey "Carnitas"
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6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
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1 small (6-ounce) white onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup), plus more for serving
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3 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped (about 1 tablespoon)
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2 teaspoons ancho chile powder
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½ teaspoon ground cumin
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½ teaspoon ground coriander
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½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
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1 cup turkey broth or chicken broth
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½ cup fresh orange juice (from 2 oranges)
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¼ cup fresh lime juice (from 2 limes)
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2 (4-inch) oregano sprigs
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2 fresh or dried bay leaves
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4 cups shredded cooked turkey (dark meat and white meat separated; about 1 1/4 pounds), divided
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½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
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8 (6-inch) corn tortillas, warmed
Direction
Make the mojo
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Process cilantro, orange juice, lime juice, chile, and garlic in a blender until very smooth, about 45 seconds. Remove center piece of blender lid; with blender running, slowly stream in oil until emulsified and creamy, about 20 seconds. Transfer to a small bowl; stir in salt and pepper. Cover and store in refrigerator until ready to serve.
Make the turkey "carnitas"
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Heat oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring often, until softened and lightly browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Add ancho chile powder, cumin, coriander, and cinnamon; cook, stirring constantly, until spice mixture is toasted and fragrant, about 1 minute. Add broth, orange juice, lime juice, oregano, and bay leaves; bring to a boil over medium-high. Boil, undisturbed, until orange juice mixture is reduced and just covers onion, about 15 minutes.
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Add dark turkey meat to mixture in skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes. Stir in white meat; cook, stirring occasionally, until orange juice mixture is absorbed into turkey meat, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in salt, plus more to taste. Remove from heat. Serve turkey mixture on tortillas; top with mojo and additional chopped onion.
