Carnitas: Mexican Pulled Pork
If you want Mexican street food at its finest in a gringo kitchen, these carnitas are not going to let you down. The pork has a perfectly crisp exterior and unleashes perfectly seasoned flavors.
Servings 10
Calories 71kcal
Equipment
- dutch oven
Ingredients
- 1 3 ½ – 4 lbs boneless pork butt, fat trimmed to ⅛″, cut into 2 chunks
- 2 cups water more or less
- 1 onion peeled and halved
- 2 tbs lime juice
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 bay leaves
- salt and pepper
- 1 orange halved
- Tortillas
- Toppings: Minced red onion fresh cilantro, thinly sliced radishes, pico de gallo, sour cream, and lime wedges
Instructions
- Adjust the oven rack to the lower middle position and preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
- Place the pork in a Dutch oven with the onion, lime juice, oregano, cumin, bay leaves, 1 teas salt and ½ teas pepper. Add the water, it should cover just barely cover the meat.
- Squeeze the juice from the orange into the Dutch oven and throw the spent orange halves in there as well.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cover and transfer to oven.
- Cook for 2 hours, until meat is easily shredded with two forks, flipping the meat once halfway though cook time.
- Remove the meat from the Dutch oven and discard the onion, bay leaves, and orange.
- Place pot over high heat and simmer the liquid stirring occasionally until it leaves a trail when a spatula is run through it and it is thick and syrup like, about 8-12 minutes. It bubbles while cooking so use caution.
- Turn the oven to broil.
- Shred the pork into bite sized chunks.
- Fold in the syrup and spread out mixture in a single layer onto an aluminum foil lined baking sheet.
- Broil on lower middle rack for 5 to 8 minutes, until meat is crispy but not charred.
- Carefully remove from oven, flip the meat and broil again for 5 to 8 minutes longer.
- Serve carnitas with desired toppings.
Notes
Cook’s Illustrated Mexican Favorites
Nutrition
Calories: 71kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 32mg | Potassium: 195mg | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 30IU | Vitamin C: 8.7mg | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 0.7mg