When it comes to mouth-watering meaty bites, it’s hard to beat carnitas. This Michoacán specialty flavors tough pork cuts with citrus, herbs, and spices, and slow-cooks them into crispy yet juicy morsels that stand apart from pulled pork. It’s a rich creation that’s hard to translate to other proteins, but there is one option that turns out delicious: tuna.
Sure, it may be nicknamed chicken of the sea, but with the right piece of tuna, the fish offers carnitas-like qualities. The key is to reach for a raw, fatty tuna cut like belly-sourced toro. You’ll then cut the tuna into 1-inch cubes, which you can optionally quick-marinate in a mix of dried chiles and orange juice that resembles a typical carnitas marinade. Follow by cooking this on a searing-hot skillet, and you’ll get a delectable crispy and smokey exterior that’s truly steak-like. Loaded onto fresh tortillas and topped with morita-based salsa, pickled onions, and guacamole, these tacos will delight both seafood and meat lovers.
Seared tuna steak replicates the taste and texture of carnitas
If you’re not well-versed in cooking raw tuna, such a swap may feel intimidating. Just know that you’ll want to use fresh steak for optimal texture and taste to replicate carnitas, but canned tuna makes delicious fish tacos of another kind. The raw fish is imperative to achieve delicious Maillard reactions (different from caramelization) on the exterior. Such interactions between the proteins, reducing sugars, and heat lend the delicious savory notes that also define slow-roasted carnitas. To really enable this process, make sure to pat the fish dry prior to cooking.
Furthermore, whenever you’re searing the tuna, you’ll want to leave a bit of rawness on the interior. As long as you’ve sourced a high-quality fish, this is totally safe to eat and adds more moisture and textural variation to the dish. Once you’ve taken such considerations into account, then match with the classic carnitas flavors. Serve alongside classic sides like a tangy and spicy green salsa as well as guacamole, and it’s a dinner meal that’ll hit the spot.
