Bacon-y Carnitas Tacos

Coarsely chop 6 oz. bacon and transfer to a Dutch oven. Cut 1½ lb. pork shoulder into 1½"-thick pieces and add to pot. Add 1½ tsp. salt and cover meat with water—not so much water that the pieces are bobbing around, but you want them almost entirely submerged.

Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and cover pot. Simmer, lifting lid occasionally to stir and poking pieces of pork with a fork to test for tenderness after the first half hour, until tender, 45–60 minutes. When you lift the lid, you want to see gentle bubbles. If you see rapid bubbling or no bubbling at all, adjust your heat accordingly.

While pork is cooking, prep the rest of your ingredients. Drain 14 oz. tomatoes in a colander or strainer. Smash 2 garlic cloves and discard skins. Peel 1 red onion and thinly slice about a quarter of it. Place slices on the side of cutting board and cover with a damp paper towel. Coarsely chop remaining onion. Pick about 1 cup cilantro leaves with tender stems and cover with a damp paper towel on cutting board. Run knife through remaining cilantro to coarsely chop (stems included).

Combine drained tomatoes, garlic, 2 chipotle chiles, 2 tsp. agave syrup, coarsely chopped onion, and coarsely chopped cilantro in a blender. Cut 1 lime in half and squeeze in juice. Blend on high until salsa is smooth (you should have about 1¾ cups). Season with salt.

Check to make sure pork is fork-tender. When you slide tines of a fork into a piece and twist, the fibers will easily separate. At this point, uncover pot and increase heat to medium. Let pork bubble away until water is evaporated, 10–15 minutes.

At this point, the pork will begin to sputter and splatter. To protect yourself from the burning hot flying pork fat, place lid back on pot slightly ajar and increase heat to medium-high. After about 2 minutes of the pork sizzling in its own fat, reduce heat to low and lift lid to check on it. You want the undersides of the pieces to be browned and crispy. If they’re not, put the lid back on and increase heat again. Cook for another minute or two.

Once pork is browned on first side, use a spatula to loosen and turn pieces by scraping bottom. Put lid back on slightly cockeyed and crank heat again until second side is browned, 2–3 minutes. Repeat process of covering and browning meat, then uncovering and turning pieces, once or twice more until browned and crispy all over. Remove pot from heat.

Warm tortillas by grasping with tongs and waving them over a gas burner, or wrap in damp paper towels and microwave 30 seconds.

Serve carnitas with warm tortillas, salsa, and reserved sliced onion and cilantro leaves. Cut remaining lime into wedges and serve alongside.