Breakfast Carnitas

So, I may have a problem with tacos. I like them, a lot. They are fast, easy to make and eat, cheap, and versatile. I know that if I need a quick dinner, I can thaw some ground meat in the microwave, throw together some cornbread, and pull taco shells out of the pantry for a 30 minute meal that EVERYONE will eat.

But they are also a perfect breakfast. Whatever leftover meat I have in the fridge gets turned into single serve tacos. Single serve because my family won't eat soft corn tortillas, and the crunchy ones are just for dinner, so I get them all to myself in the morning! I already mentioned my Spanish eggs, and my other go-to is breakfast carnitas.

About once a month I put a pork butt into the slow cooker with basic seasonings and let it fall apart into fatty deliciousness. We eat that night with barbeque sauce, either in a sandwich or on sweet potatoes, and there are always leftovers. More sandwiches! Or breakfast for Mom, because I will take chunks of it and pan fry it in bacon fat until it is crispy and throw it into a corn tortilla. It saves a lot of time over traditional carnitas, which are deep fried for hours in lard, and you get pretty much the same result.

Breakfast Carnitas

1 cup leftover pork butt, in chunks
bacon grease
sprinkling of cumin, oregano, and chili powder
cheddar cheese
2-3 corn tortillas

Heat the bacon grease in a small skillet over medium heat and add the pork. Season and stir. The meat will stick and shred, just keep scraping it up off the pan, because that is the tasty part! Meanwhile, warm the tortillas. Once the meat is warm and the fat has gotten melty again, pile it into the tortillas with the cheese and go to town!