Pork Carnitas

If you like authentic Mexican food, than this is the recipe for you. You can eat this stuff by itself, wrapped up in a corn tortilla with some white onion and cilantro or as a addition to a salad! It is so good and so versatile! Carnitas means "little meat", which is just what it is. Little pieces of super flavorful meat! And the best thing is, this recipe makes a lot..so try it one or several ways! I promise you, despite the multi-step directions, you won't be disappointed!

Pork Carnitas

4 pound boneless pork butt, fat trimmed and cut into 2 inch cubes (I have used both bone in and boneless, you still get the same, great result!)
1 1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
2 onions, peeled and halved
2 bay leaves
1 tsp dried oregano
2 Tb fresh lime juice
2 C water
1 medium orange, juiced and keep the spent halves

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

Combine all the ingredients in a large Dutch oven, including the spent orange halves and juice.  Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat, uncovered.  Once the pot has come to a simmer,  cover and transfer it to the oven.  

Cook until the meat falls apart when prodded with a fork, approximately 2 hours. Discard the bone if using a bone-in roast.

Remove the pot from the oven and turn on your broiler.  Using a slotted spoon, remove the meat from the pan and place it on a large foil-lined jelly roll pan.  Remove and discard everything from the pot except for the cooking liquid.  Place pot over high heat on the stove and boil until thick and syrupy, about 20 minutes or until you have about 1 cup of liquid remaining.

While the liquid is reducing, shred the meat into small chunks or pieces.  Once the liquid has become a syrup, add the meat back to the pot and fold into the syrup.  Give it a taste and adjust the salt and pepper if needed.

Scoop the pork back onto the foil lined pan and spread evenly into a single layer. 

Place the jelly roll pan on the lower middle rack of the oven and broil until the top of the meat is well browned and edges are slightly crisp, about 5 to 8 minutes.  Flip the pieces of meat and broil the other side until well browned and edges are slightly crisp, an additional 5 to 8 minutes. Serve immediately!