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Pork Carnitas · Dutch Oven

Oven-Braised Crispy Pork Carnitas

Pork shoulder braised with orange, lime, garlic and cumin until meltingly tender, then crisped under the broiler. Pile it into warm tortillas with onion and cilantro.

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Prep
20 min
Cook
2 hr 45 min
Total
3 hr 5 min
Serves
8
Level
Medium

Ingredients

Pork

  • 3 ½ lb boneless pork shoulder, cut into 2-inch chunks
  • 2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 ½ tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • 1 onion, quartered
  • 6 cloves garlic, smashed
  • 1 orange, juiced, peels saved
  • 2 limes, juiced
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 cup water

To serve

  • 16 corn tortillas, warmed
  • ½ onion, finely diced
  • ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • lime wedges, salsa, sliced radishes

Cook to 145°F inside (check with a thermometer).

Steps

  1. Heat the oven to 325°F with a rack in the lower third.
  2. Toss the pork with the salt, cumin, oregano and pepper in a large Dutch oven.
  3. Add the quartered onion, garlic, orange juice and peels, lime juice, bay leaves and water. Spread the pork in an even layer.
  4. Bring to a simmer on the stove over medium-high heat, then cover and move the pot to the oven.
  5. Braise until the pork is fork-tender and falls apart easily, far past the safe 145°F (63°C).
  6. Lift out and throw away the orange peels, onion pieces and bay leaves.
  7. Move the pork to a rimmed sheet pan with a slotted spoon and shred it into bite-size pieces with two forks.
  8. Spoon the fat off the cooking liquid, then drizzle about 1/2 cup of the liquid over the pork.
  9. Move an oven rack to about 6 inches below the broiler and turn the broiler to high.
  10. Broil until the edges of the pork are brown and crispy.
  11. Stir the pork, drizzle with a little more liquid and broil again until crisp in spots. Watch closely so it doesn't burn.
  12. Serve in warm tortillas with diced onion, cilantro, lime wedges and salsa.

Tip: Pork shoulder is safe at 145°F, but it only gets tender enough to shred at about 195°F to 205°F, so cook it by tenderness.

Tip: Crisp only what you'll eat right away; store the rest soft in its liquid and crisp it fresh.

Tip: Use a separate cutting board for raw meat, and wash hands, boards and knives in hot soapy water after handling it.

Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container within 2 hours, up to 4 days. Store in some of the cooking liquid. Freeze up to 3 months.

Make ahead: Braise and shred up to 3 days ahead. Crisp under the broiler or in a hot skillet just before serving.

Estimated nutrition per serving: 600 calories · protein 38 g · carbohydrates 28 g · fiber 4 g · sugars 3 g · fat 37 g (saturated 13 g) · sodium 590 mg. Estimate from USDA FoodData Central; not medical or dietary advice. Based on 14 of 14 ingredients.