Carnitas
- 15m Prep Time
- 3h Cook Time
- 3h Ready In
Tender pork shoulder braised with garlic, onion, and orange juice, then broiled for crispy edges. Serve in warm tortillas with traditional toppings.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 lbs boneless pork shoulder cut into 2-inch chunks
- 2 tbsp kosher salt
- 5 clove garlic
- 1 medium yellow onion quartered
- 3 bay leaves
- juice of one orange
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/3 cup lard or vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 cup water
- warm tortillas
- lime wedges
- guacamole
- salsa
- chopped onion
- cilantro
Nutrition (per serving, estimated)
Estimated based off 10 of 15 identified ingredients (per 100 g food data, scaled by amount).
Vitamins & minerals
- Calcium: 292 mg
- Iron: 3.56 mg
- Magnesium: 70 mg
- Phosphorus: 583 mg
- Potassium: 1148 mg
- Zinc: 6.26 mg
Let's Prepare
Collect
Gather these ingredients — no prep needed yet.
- 2 tbsp kosher salt
- 5 clove garlic
- 3 bay leaves
- juice of one orange
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/3 cup lard or vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 cup water
- warm tortillas
- lime wedges
- guacamole
- salsa
- chopped onion
- cilantro
Prepare
- 2 1/2 lbs boneless pork shoulder, cut into 2-inch chunks
- Quarter 1 medium yellow onion
Let's Cook
-
Step 1.
In a wok, combine the pork shoulder chunks, kosher salt, garlic cloves, quartered yellow onion, bay leaves, orange juice, ground cumin, lard or vegetable oil, and water. Stir to combine.
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Step 2.
Cover the wok and cook over medium heat until the pork is tender, about 3 to 3½ hours. Stir occasionally, ensuring all pork pieces spend some time submerged in the liquid and lard. If the meat begins to look dry midway, add another ½ cup of water.
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Step 3.
Remove and discard the bay leaves. Transfer the pork to a large casserole dish and spoon a few tablespoons of the cooking liquid over the meat. Using two forks, shred the pork into bite-sized pieces.
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Step 4.
Preheat the broiler. Broil the shredded pork until the surface crisps, about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and fluff the pork with a fork, mixing the crisped layer into the moist meat underneath.
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Step 5.
Broil the pork again until the surface crisps, about 5 more minutes, watching closely to prevent burning. Serve the carnitas with warm tortillas, lime wedges, guacamole, salsa, chopped onion, and cilantro.