The Best Venison Carnitas Tacos
Do you love Carnitas Tacos as much as we do? Of course, you do! How about Deer Tacos?Venison Carnitas Tacos using an antelope roast or deer roast always turns out tender and juicy, making it the perfect protein to put in your tacos. It’s also a great way to have your dinner ready when you get home from work. My family loves this slow cooker venison roast that gets to spend the whole day braising in a perfect blend of spices and citrus until it falls apart. Serve these venison carnitas tacos up with your favorite toppings – fresh cilantro, tangy lime, creamy avocado – and enjoy the taste of authentic carnitas without ever leaving your kitchen. All you have to do is fire up that slow cooker or crockpot and set the table to enjoy a happy Taco Tuesday with the family.WHAT IS CARNITAS?Carnitas are Mexico’s version of pulled pork. Carnitas are almost always made with a large cut of pork or beef with a substantial amount of fat. A variety of different cuts from the shoulder can be used, and I've had great success with making carnitas with a whole front deer quarter cut up into manageable pieces using a reciprocating saw. I truly believe bone-in makes the different and infuses extra flavor, but it's not mandatory for carnitas. What is important for them to be authentic carnitas like Carnitas Michoacan is for the meat to be slow-cooked in fat, typically a Mexican-style lard called Manteca which I use here. Deer neck roasts are perfect for venison carnitas tacos because they are full of flavor and have lots of connective tissue that will break down in the slow cooker, creating a rich and concentrated stock for the meat to braise in. It will keep up to 5 days in the refrigerator and freezes well so you can bring these deer tacos along to warm up and eat the next time you come on a trip to go hunting in North Dakota.DEER NECK ROASTS AND CHRONIC WASTING DISEASEIf you hunt in an area where CWD (chronic wasting disease) is present, the neck roast should be deboned. If not, I prefer to leave it as a bone-in venison roast. You just want to make sure you cut the neck roast into pieces that will fit in your slow cooker. A reciprocating saw makes quick work for this job, but any saw will do. If you are butchering the animal yourself, you also want to make sure and remember to remove the trachea (windpipe) and esophagus (food pipe). If you forget, you'll want to remove and discard the unappetizing yellowish/white pipe still intact in the slow cooker after hours of braising.A number of states have established regulations on the transportation of the spinal column and head of hunter-killed deer, moose and elk. Every hunter should be familiar with the regulations of the state in which they hunt. For lots of great information on transportation regulations and recommendations state by state, see the CWD Alliance Web site at www.cwd-info.org.THE SECRET TO MAKING THE BEST VENISON CARNITASBrown the Meat! The best carnitas are browned in a skillet first! PLEASE don’t skip the step to brown the neck roast before placing it in the slow cooker. This is the key that makes this the best venison carnitas. If you think you’ve had great carnitas before, but you haven’t tried browning in a skillet first, this step is going to be a game changer!MORE VENISON RECIPESIf you like the flavors of venison carnitas tacos, you should also try my Venison Barbacoa Tacos or Venison Totchos (Tater Tot Nachos). It's one of those dishes that is perfect to serve at a party when trying to introduce friends and family to wild game for the first time. You can find plenty more venison recipes on the Venison Recipes page.If you would like to come to North Dakota and experience a great deer hunt, check out the North Dakota Game & Fish Department website. And if you want me to come along with you as your camp cook, photographer, or butcher, you can find out more details here. If you make these venison carnitas tacos, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #wildgameandfishDid you enjoy this Venison Carnitas Tacos Recipe? Be sure to leave a 5-star rating RIGHT HERE – JUST ABOVE THE PRINT RECIPE BUTTON!
Ingredients
- 1 deer or antelope neck roast
- 1/4 cup Lard
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 1 cup venison broth or beef broth
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 tablespoon white or apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Heat the lard in a large cast-iron skillet over high heat. Add neck roast and sear on all sides until a deep brown color forms, about 2 minutes per side.
- Transfer the browned neck roast with all the melted lard to my favorite slow cooker with the sliced yellow onion.
- In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the broth, lime juice, vinegar, garlic, cumin, oregano, paprika, salt, and pepper.
- Pour the broth mixture into the slow cooker, cover, and cook on High setting for 4 to 6 hours or on Low setting for 8 to 10 hours, until meat is fall-apart tender.
- When you are ready to serve, shred the meat and discard the bones and "undesirable" white pieces. Serve with tortilla shells, diced onion, fresh cilantro, lime wedges, avocado, and your favorite salsa.
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