Perfect Carnitas Recipe
These carnitas are succulent and juicy, crispy on the edges, and packed with rich pork flavor. A hybrid confit-braise method makes them foolproof and perfect for tacos, burritos, bowls, and more.
Ingredients
For the Cure
- 5 lb pork shoulder, cut into 2-3 inch cubes
- 50 g salt
- 2 g dried oregano
- 10 g onion powder
- 30 g garlic, minced
For the Braise
- 100 g water or stock
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 4 bay leaves
- 1 orange, quartered
Finish and Serve
- 150 g rendered pork fat, reserved from cooking
- 150 g pork gold (cooking liquid), reserved from cooking
- flour tortillas, warmed
- white onion, chopped
- cilantro, chopped
- salsa taquera, or your favorite salsa or taco sauce
Instructions
- Start by cutting pork shoulder into 2 to 3 inch cubes. If there's a bone, try to remove it. No need for perfect butchery. Just cut the meat off in chunks.
- Combine salt, oregano, garlic, and onion powder in a bowl with the pork shoulder cubes and mix until every piece is evenly coated. Then cure in the fridge for 1 hour.
- Place the pork in a wide, heavy bottomed pot in a tight even layer.
- Preheat the oven to 250°F/120°C.
- Add 1 cinnamon stick, 1 orange (quartered and juiced into the pot), 3 bay leaves, and 100g water or stock. Cover with the lid and roast at 250°F/120°C for 3 hours, checking and flipping all pieces of pork over after 90 minutes.
- After 3 hours of total cook time, pull the pork and check it for doneness. A fork should slide in easily and the meat should shred, but it shouldn't fall apart. It should still hold its shape. If it's not there yet, give it another 30 minutes and check again.
- Once done, flip any pieces of pork that are out of the liquids so they're now submerged. Re-cover the pork, and rest at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes then refrigerate covered overnight in its own liquid.
- The next day, or after 8-12 hours minimum chilling, remove the pieces of pork from the pot. Separate and set aside the rendered pork fat and the cooking liquid (aka pork gold) underneath it.
- Shred pork pieces into a mix of larger chunks and smaller threadier pieces. Discard any pieces that are mostly fat.
- Add about 150g rendered pork fat and 150g pork gold to the shredded meat, then mix until everything is evenly coated.
- Heat a nonstick sauté pan over medium-high. Add pork in a thin, even layer, then press it down and let it sizzle untouched for about 90 seconds.When the pork is golden and crispy on one side, flip and repeat.
- Once crisped, pile the carnitas onto warm flour tortillas and top with chopped onion, cilantro, and salsa taquera or roasted tomatillo salsa.
This recipe uses a 6.75qt dutch oven to cook a 5lb pork shoulder. If your dutch oven is closer to 5 qt, use 3.5lb of meat and 32g salt (2¼ T). For a 6 qt pot, use around 4.25lb meat and 40g (2¾ T) salt.
You want pork that's glistening and well-coated, not sitting in excess liquid. If it looks dry, add a little more pork gold. If your pork is already juicy or fatty looking before adding the 150g of each, add a little less.
I like to take the pork to 40% dark golden brown crispy edges, leaving the remainder soft and juicy.
Finish by adding a splash more pork gold and sautéing for a few more seconds to ensure moistness.
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