Description
Tender pork shoulder is slow cooked with orange, lime, garlic and warm spices, then shredded and crisped until deliciously browned. Serve these flavour packed carnitas in warm tortillas with salsa, guacamole, red onion and fresh coriander.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 4.4 lb - 2 kg pork shoulder, cut into 5 cm chunks
- 2 onions, roughly chopped
- 1 orange, juiced, with the squeezed halves reserved
- 2 limes, juiced, plus extra lime wedges for serving
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 3 to 4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped or minced
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 2 red peppers, roughly chopped
- 1/3 cup oil or lard, divided as needed
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 8 to 10 tortillas, warmed
For Serving
- Chopped red onion
- Fresh coriander, chopped
- Salsa
- Guacamole
- Lime wedges
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350⁰F (180⁰C).
- Pat the 2 kg pork shoulder dry with paper towel and cut it into roughly 5 cm chunks.
- Season the pork shoulder all over with salt and black pepper. Don’t go overboard with the salt at this stage, as the chicken stock will add some seasoning too.
- Heat about 1/3 cup oil or lard in a large heavy-based, oven-safe pot over medium-high heat.
- Brown the 2 kg pork shoulder in batches, turning the pieces so they get a good colour on several sides. Don’t crowd the pot or the pork will steam instead of browning. Transfer each browned batch to a plate.
- Add the 2 chopped onions and 2 chopped red peppers to the same pot.
- Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring and scraping up some of those browned bits from the bottom.
- Add the 3 to 4 cloves garlic, 2 tsp paprika, 1 tsp ground cumin, 2 cinnamon sticks, and 2 bay leaves. Cook for another 1 to 2 minutes, just until everything smells lovely.
- Pour in the juice from 1 orange and the juice from 2 limes.
- Stir well, scraping the bottom of the pot to loosen any tasty browned bits.
- Return the browned 2 kg pork shoulder to the pot. Add the reserved squeezed orange halves and pour in enough of the 3 cups chicken stock to come about two-thirds of the way up the meat.
- You may not need every drop, depending on the size of your pot. Bring the liquid to a gentle simmer, then cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid.
- Transfer the covered pot to the oven and cook at 350⁰F (180⁰C) for about 3 hours, or until the pork shoulder is very tender and pulls apart easily with a fork.
- Check the pork after about 2 1/2 hours. If it still feels firm, give it more time. The pork should be properly fall-apart tender, not just cooked through.
- Remove the pot from the oven and carefully take out the 2 cinnamon sticks, 2 bay leaves, and squeezed orange halves. Skim off some of the fat from the surface if you prefer.
- Reserve about 1/2 cup of the braising liquid, then drain the remaining liquid from the pork. Don’t throw all that liquid away just yet. It’s packed with flavour and is useful for keeping the shredded pork juicy.
- Transfer the tender pork shoulder to a large bowl or tray and shred it with two forks. Discard any large pieces of excess fat, if you find them.
- Heat a large frying pan or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add a little of the remaining 1/3 cup oil or lard if needed, then add a portion of the shredded pork shoulder in a fairly even layer.
- Let it cook undisturbed for a few minutes so the bottom gets browned and crispy.
- Toss or turn the pork and continue cooking until you have a mix of tender meat and crispy edges. Repeat with the remaining pork, adding a little more oil or lard as needed.
- Add a small splash of the reserved 1/2 cup braising liquid to the crispy pork, a little at a time, tossing gently until the meat is moist but not soggy.
- You probably won’t need all of it. Taste and adjust the salt and black pepper if needed.
- Warm the 8 to 10 tortillas, then fill them with the crispy carnitas.
- Top with chopped red onion, fresh coriander, salsa and guacamole.
- Serve with lime wedges for squeezing over everything just before eating.
Notes
Prepared, tried, and tested by Rochelle
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 482
- Sugar: 4.7 g
- Sodium: 238.3 mg
- Fat: 17.7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4.1 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20.2 g
- Fiber: 3.1 g
- Protein: 58.9 g
- Cholesterol: 166.2 mg
