Slow-Simmered Pork Carnitas
This is a two-stage process. You cannot rush the initial long simmer, or the meat will be tough; you cannot skip the final sear, or you lose the texture that defines the dish.
Pork shoulder is the only cut for this.
Look for a piece with plenty of intramuscular fat (marbling). If you buy a lean cut, the meat will dry out long before it becomes tender.
- Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot
- tongs
- large baking sheet
- two forks
What goes in.
- 4 lbpork shoulder, cut into 2-inch chunks
- 1 tbspkosher salt
- 2navel oranges, halved
- 1large white onion, quartered
- 6 clovesgarlic, smashed
- 2bay leaves
- 1 tspdried Mexican oregano
Developing the texture
Do not crowd the pan during the final sear. If the meat is stacked too deep, it will steam rather than crisp, and you will miss out on the essential crunch.
The method.
Season the pork
Toss the pork chunks with salt in a large bowl. Let it sit at room temperature while you prep the aromatics.
Assemble the pot
Place the pork in the Dutch oven. Squeeze the juice from the orange halves over the meat and drop the rinds into the pot. Add the onion, garlic, bay leaves, and oregano.
Simmer
Cover and cook over low heat for 3 to 4 hours. The pork is done when you can press a piece with a spoon and it falls apart easily. Remove the rinds and onion chunks.
Shred
Transfer the pork to a baking sheet. Use two forks to break the meat into bite-sized pieces. Pour about half a cup of the rendered fat from the pot over the meat to keep it moist.
Crisp
Heat a cast-iron skillet over high heat. Add a single layer of shredded pork. Sear for 2-3 minutes without moving it until the underside is dark brown and crunchy. Flip and repeat briefly.
Other turns to take.
Spiced
Add two whole dried guajillo chiles to the pot during the simmer for a deeper, earthier color and flavor.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Save the strained liquid from the pot; it is essentially liquid gold and can be used to flavor beans or rice.
If the pork seems too dry after shredding, add more of the rendered fat back onto the baking sheet before searing.
Always work in batches when searing; if the pan is overcrowded, the temperature drops and the meat will become greasy instead of crisp.
The ones that keep coming up.
Can I do this in a slow cooker?
Yes. Follow the same steps, but set the slow cooker to low for 8 hours. You must still perform the final sear in a skillet to get the necessary texture.
What if the fat isn't rendering well?
Add a splash of water or lard to the pot initially to get things moving. The pork should be mostly submerged in liquid and fat as it cooks.
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