Pork Carnitas
- Level: Easy
- Yield: 8 to 12 servings
- Total: 4 hr 30 min
- Active: 1 hr
Ingredients
About 5 pounds (2.25 kilograms) pork shoulder, trimmed and cut into roughly 3-inch cubes
Kosher salt
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons dry oregano, preferably Mexican
1 1/2 teaspoons coriander
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 to 2 tablespoons canola oil
4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1 red onion, peeled and quartered
1 1/2 cups (375 milliliters) light flavored beer, such as lager
1 lime, halved
1 orange, halved
1 to 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
Corn tortillas and/or Crispy Cheesy Shells, recipe follows
Guacamole, recipe follows
Pico de Gallo, recipe follows
Cotija or feta, sour cream and cilantro
Crispy Cheesy Shells:
2 cups (230 grams) shredded Cheddar or jack cheese
6 to 8 corn or flour tortillas
Guacamole:
3 ripe avocados
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
1/4 red onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 to 2 limes, juiced
Kosher salt
Pico de Gallo:
3 to 4 tomatoes on the vine, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1/3 to 1 jalapeño or serrano pepper, finely diced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 lime, juiced
Kosher salt
Directions
- Heat your oven to 325 degrees F.
- Place the pork in a large bowl, season with the 2 teaspoons salt as well as the cumin, sugar, oregano, coriander, chili powder, garlic powder and paprika and mix well to combine and evenly coat.
- Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add in 1 tablespoon of the oil. Sear the pork in batches, adding more oil between each batch if needed, until golden brown on all sides. Set the seared pork aside and add in the garlic cloves and onion. If the pan looks a bit too dark on the bottom at this point, add a splash of water now to release some of that delicious char into the veg. Season with salt and cook just until the vegetables pick up some color, 2 to 3 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the beer, scraping the bottom to remove any stuck-on bits, and add the pork back in. Squeeze in the juice from the lime and orange and add the juiced rinds into the pot along with the chipotle peppers, to taste.
- Bring to a boil then cover with a tight-fitting lid and transfer to the oven until the pork is fork tender, 3 to 3 1/2 hours.
- Discard the citrus and transfer the pork and onions to a sheet pan to cool slightly, reserving the braising liquid. Shred with two forks. Turn your broiler on to high and broil the carnitas until browned and slightly crisp on top, 3 to 5 minutes. Add a splash or two of the braising liquid and transfer to a serving dish.
- Serve the carnitas with corn tortillas or Crispy Cheesy Taco Shells, Guacamole, Pico de Gallo and your favorite taco toppings.
Crispy Cheesy Shells:
- Place a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Scatter in about 1/4 cup of the cheese and, once melted, top with a tortilla. Cook until the cheese is golden and a bit crisp, then flip and cook for a few seconds just to heat the other side of the tortilla. With the cheese on the outside, lightly fold the tortilla over to form a crispy taco shell and allow to firm up before serving.
Guacamole:
- Cut the avocados in half and carefully remove the pits. Scoop the flesh into a bowl and add in the cilantro, onion, garlic and lime juice to taste. Mash to your desired consistency and season with salt and more lime juice if needed. If making ahead, squeeze some extra lime juice on top and cover the surface directly with plastic wrap to avoid oxidation. Store in the fridge for up to 2 days, mixing well before serving.
Pico de Gallo:
- Add the tomatoes, onion, garlic, jalapeño or serrano to taste, cilantro and lime juice to a bowl and toss to combine. Season with salt and set aside for 5 minutes to allow the flavors to mingle. If making ahead, cover and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Cook’s Note
To cook the carnitas in a slow cooker, transfer the seared pork into a slow cooker along with the garlic and onion. Deglaze the searing pan with the beer, pour over the pork and add in the orange juice, lime juice, citrus rinds and chipotle in adobo. Cook for 8 hours on low or for 4 to 5 hours on high or until fork tender.