Medium
Mexican
Carnitas Tacos
Pork shoulder confited in its own fat until it shreds, then crisped hard under the broiler.
Ingredient
Bay leaf
A background note rather than a flavour you can name, which is why its absence is more noticeable than its presence. Dried is genuinely fine here — one of the few herbs where the dried version is not a poor relation.
- Sourcing
- A bag of dried leaves lasts a year of cooking. Fresh bay from a plant is stronger and slightly bitter, so use fewer.
- Varieties
- Turkish (laurel), Californian, Fresh, Indian bay (tej patta)
- Quality cues
- Dried leaves should still be olive-green and snap rather than crumble. Grey, brittle leaves have nothing left to give.
- Substitutions
- Thyme sprig, Juniper berry
- Storage
- Airtight, out of the light, which is what fades them.
- Shelf life
- 1-2 years dried
Nutrition
Per 100 g
- Calories
- 313 kcal
- Protein
- 7.6 g
- Fat
- 8.4 g
- Carbs
- 75 g
- Fibre
- 26.3 g
- Sugars
- — g
- Sodium
- 23 mg
From USDA FoodData Central (#170917). Raw, edible portion.
Cook with it
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