Carnitas -- I Think Not

It's been awhile since I have eaten at Taco Bell. The local stores specialize in screwing up my orders, and I usually end up disappointed as we have a couple of actually Mexican restaurants in the area now and Taco Bell's version is a rather pale shadow of the real thing. But I had court scheduled for today, I had only one case, but it was a 40 mile drive one way and I had to be there early. I knew they had a long docket, and I figured I would be there until well after lunch. I didn't take any food, as I was unsure about my day's schedule. I did have a few clients arriving in the afternoon. My person was a no-show and after sitting through 2 rounds of the docket they decided she wasn't coming and issued a bench warrant. I was dismissed and headed to the office. I wanted to get there in time to do some paperwork before my clients, so it was going to be fast food. The town I was in has very little to offer, so I hit the road. The new town big enough to be classified as more than a suburb had a few selections, but Arbies and Burger King were packed, and McDonalds was out of my way, but Taco Bell looked nice and vacant, so I whipped in the drive through. They had some sort of new taco's and one filling offered was carnitas. Awesome!!!!!!!

For those who might not know. Carnitas are "little meats" Basically pork roast is slow cooked until it is so tender it falls apart, then it is braised or caramelized, however you want to express it. Some cooks spice the meat while cooking, others prefer to let use salsa to add spice later. But the thing that makes them special is the texture and flavor. The outside is crisp, but inside the meat is tender and juicy. I guess it was too much to expect from a fast food place, but there pork basically tasted like it had been boiled in hot sauce. There was no crispy or crunchy, just generic spicy. It was a let down, and there wasn't any salsa verde or anything in the taco other than the meat and maybe a few tomato chunks. They used the bland soft flour tortillas they usually use. I wouldn't bother, the price is cheap, but it really isn't worth it. I think they also offer a steak and a chicken taco. I go to court in a different county tomorrow, it will be an all day event, as I have several cases on the docket. Hopefully we will hit the local Mexican place, as it is next door to the court, and fairly reasonably priced. Maybe they will have carnitas, if not they have excellent chimichangas.