- 1 pound boneless pork shoulder, fat trimmed
- 1½ teaspoons ground cumin
- 1½ teaspoons dried oregano
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra for sprinkling
- ¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 green plantains, peeled
- About 3 cups canola or peanut oil, for frying
- 1 avocado, sliced
- ½ cup basic salsa (recipe follows)
- One 28 ounce can plum tomatoes, with their juice
- 4 yellow chiles or 2 jalapenos, stemmed
- ½ medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed and peeled
- 1 cup fresh cilantro, tough stem ends removed
- Grated zest of 1 lime
- Kosher salt
- Combine the cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Rub the seasoning on the pork, put the pork in a baking dish, and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Remove the plastic wrap and cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake the pork for 45 to 55 minutes, until the meat is tender when pierced with a knife. Uncover and set aside to cool at least slight
- Increase the oven temperature to 425°F.
- While the pork is cooking, cut each peeled plantain half into 4 pieces on the diagonal. Blot dry with paper towels.
- In a large sauté pan, heat 2 inches of oil over medium heat until small bubbles begin to form on the bottom of the pan. (If you have a frying thermometer and want to use it, the temperature you are looking for is 325°F.) Working in batches, transfer the plantain pieces to the hot oil, placing one of the cut sides down, and cook until lightly golden and almost tender, about 3 minutes per side.
- Remove the plantain slices from the oil to a paper-towel-lined plate. Place the plantain slices between 2 clean paper bags or pieces of parchment paper and smash with a mallet, rolling pin, or the bottom of a small sauté pan. The plantains should be pounded to about ¼-inch thick. If a plantain slice crumbles and won’t flatten to ¼-inch, the batch needs further cooking before smashing.
- Cut the pork into ½-inch-thick slices. Drain any fat from the baking dish, return the pork to the dish, and return to the oven until lightly browned, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, after smashing the plantains, raise the heat under the pan to medium-high (the oil should be around 350°F) and transfer the flattened slices back to the pan in batches. Cook them this time until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to paper towels to drain and then sprinkle with salt.
- Arrange the tostones on a serving platter. Top each with a slice of avocado, slices of pork carnitas, and some salsa. Serve warm.
- Salsa is not just for tortilla chips and tacos. With no fat and lots of flavor, this salsa is one of the easiest ways I know to turn a simple grilled piece of chicken or fish and even scrambled eggs into something more vibrant.
- Combine the tomatoes, the chiles, onion, garlic, cilantro, lime zest, and salt to taste in the work bowl of a food processor or in a blender and pulse until the mixture is well combined but still chunky.
- Store the salsa, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.