2, Nov 2020

Amazingly Easy to make Pork Carnitas

Happy Monday Y’all! Back again for another amazing recipe and this time you must try it! If you don’t try anything else I post, try this one! It will make you a believer in what I’m doing here I promise. Amazingly easy to make Pork carnitas are so freaking good, you will not even mind the wait because the end result is worth every second. This recipe has quickly taken up my husbands favorite fast!

While this dish does require time to cook, it is not a tedious recipe at all. The oven does most of the work. All you really need to watch is the pot when reducing the cooking liquid into a delicious sauce that the meat is reintroduced with and then char-broiled for some sweet caramelization action!

Swaps & Specs

As far as the cut of meat goes, I think it has to be pork shoulder, or butt as it is also known as. Any other cut would probably dry out during this long cooking process.

The water that is added could easily be traded out for broth or even a Mexican beer like Modelo. Blue Moon with it’s orange flavor notes would probably pair well too.

This recipe can be made in the crockpot, cooked on low for 6-7 hours. Please note, using this method results in a significant amount of more liquid to reduce down. So account for that when considering this option.

A trick I learned watching someone is to use the tongs to squeeze the limes and oranges if you don’t have a juicer. I never bought one because I just do this. Plus, you can squeeze it cut side up so the seeds stay put!

This recipe makes a lot. You can easily freeze it in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. To reheat, simply add it to a large pan over low heat, until meat is thawed. Spoon onto a sheet pan and broil it for 5 minutes like you did when it was first made.

Toppings can be whatever you like for tacos or other Latin inspired dishes. Our favorites are finely diced onion, sour cream, queso fresco cheese, avocado and a squeeze of fresh lime!

The taco seasoning I used is my recipe. Find the recipe here.

We serve this with street corn and rice most commonly. You could serve with refried beans, queso or salsas.

This is a favorite of ours because it is easy, doesn’t require special ingredients and the depth of flavor is out of bounds! We hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Pork Carnitas

Braised pork butt in a delicious sauce then char-broiled at the end for a caramelized touch.

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 2 45

Total Time 3

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Servings 12 people

Calories 350 kcal

Equipment

dutch oven

Ingredients

8 lbs. boneless pork butt, cubed (about 2" size)
2 tsp. kosher salt
1 1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper
1 1/2 tsp. cumin
1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
2 bay leaves
2 medium onions, peeled and quartered
2 medium oranges. juiced and keep the rinds
2 large limes, juiced
2 1/2 cups water
1 packet Sazon seasoning
1 each sprinklings Goya Adobo with pepper, cumin and taco seasoning optional

Instructions

Heat oven to 300°. Move top rack to middle position. While that's heating up add all ingredients but bay leaves to a large Dutch oven. Mix well until everything is incorporated.
Add bay leaves last and bring pot to a boil. Once it starts to boil, place in oven for about 2 hours or until it falls apart when prodded with a fork.
When pork is finished, remove pot from oven and turn the broiler on. Using a slotted spoon, take out the meat, onion and oranges, leaving liquid in pan. Reduce liquid on stove over high heat for about 20-25 minutes.
While the liquid is reducing, shred pork into smaller chunks on a sheet pan, discard the oranges and large pieces of onion. Once liquid is reduced, add pork to pan and mix gently to coat.
Spread pork back onto pan in an even layer and sprinkle lightly across whole pan with Goya, cumin and taco seasoning. Mix and broil until edges are crispy and sizzling, about 5 minutes. It is ready to serve now on your favorite bed of rice or in a tortilla shell topped with your favorite toppings.