Carnitas tacos

Had the gang over for dinner last night.

I made carnitas tacos.  Very good.  I seasoned hunks of pork shoulder, then roasted them at 325°F (covered, with a bit of water) for about an hour.  I drained off the accumulated juices and saved them, then uncovered the meat, raised the oven to 425°F, and continued to roast them for about 30 minutes more until they were browned.  After a bit of cooling, I chopped up the meat into big chunks to serve.  Served it with warm flour tortillas, and a bunch of fixin's: shredded cheese, sour cream, guacamole, fried onions, raw onions, cilantro, lime wedges, and hot (Sriracha) and mild (Valentina) chili sauces.  Damn good.

Also made some Spanish rice to serve alongside, and a green salad.

Spanish rice is simple -- saute some chopped onion, red bell pepper, garlic, and celery in ample olive oil.  Add three cups white rice, and stir to coat.  Add 8 cups stock (canned is fine here), enhanced with a 1/4 tsp saffron powder, and a cup chopped green olives.  Bring it all to a boil, lower the heat, give it a good stir, then cover, and let cook about 15 minutes until the rice is tender.

Also -- the first pitcher of iced tea for the season.  Spring's here.