Pork belly, with its signature strips of fat, is an unusual and delicious choice for the carnitas here. The key to balancing the richness is serving them with this fiery tomatillo salsa, which has a surprise ingredient—fresh pineapple. Slideshow: More Delicious Mexican Dishes
How to Make It
In a pot, combine the water, garlic head, shallot, thyme, bay leaf, peppercorns, 1 tablespoon of salt and 2 teaspoons of sugar and stir until the salt and sugar are dissolved. Add the pork and refrigerate overnight.
Preheat the broiler. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the tomatillos with the canola oil. Broil for 20 minutes, stirring, until the tomatillos are softened and nicely charred. Scrape the charred tomatillos into a blender. Add the pineapple, crushed garlic cloves, onion, serrano and habanero chiles, cilantro and the remaining 1 teaspoon of sugar; puree until smooth. Season the tomatillo salsa with salt.
Reduce the oven to 350°. Bring the pot with the pork to a boil over moderate heat. Cover and braise in the oven for 2 hours and 30 minutes, until the pork is very tender.
Transfer the pork to a work surface and cool slightly; discard the liquid. Thinly slice the pork and serve with the salsa, tortillas, chopped white onion, cilantro and guacamole.