Carnitas el viejon 26

Where to Find Real Carnitas in NYC

"A weekend-only operation out of a repurposed gray school bus at the eastern edge of Long Island City, run by Oscar Vazquez and Jazmin Méndez, who start work at 5 a.m. to prepare pickles, two house salsas, fresh tortillas and pork braised for hours in a cazo. The meat simmers in bubbling fat with Coca‑Cola, beer and brandy and is simply seasoned with cinnamon, Mexican oregano and salt, producing a range of textures — fall‑apart shoulder, gelatinous, sticky skin, crunchy ear and chewy stomach — all richly coated in rendered fat. Tacos sell by the three ($15) or by the pound ($20), the cazo sits visible by the service window, and the operation moves large volumes (roughly 140–150 pounds a day), offering what reviewers call an authentic, multi‑cut carnitas experience far removed from the single‑cut versions found in chain places." - Chris Crowley