Crispy Pork Carnitas

This pork carnitas recipe involves simmering the pork for 3 hours and then being placed under the broiler to get that crispy perfection you're looking for.

Course Tacos

Cuisine Mexican

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 4

Total Time 4 10

Servings tacos

Calories 187kcal

Author Ryan Beck

Ingredients

3 lbs pork shoulder, cut into 3" chunks
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 teaspoon oregano
1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup Coca-Cola (but you can use beer or chicken stock)
½ cup orange juice
½ cup water
juice of two limes
1 white onion, chopped
1 bay leaf
½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
corn tortillas
limes and avocado for serving

Instructions

Mix together the spices, salt and pepper. Toss the cubed pork with the spice mix. Heat olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium-high heat and sear the pork on all sides. Should be 2-3 minutes per side. Add the beer, orange juice, water, and juice of two limes. Add ½ the chopped onion and bay leaf and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and cover and simmer on low for 2 to 2 ½ hours. (1 hour more for pork tenderloin)
Remove lid and continue to cook for another 30 minutes at which point the liquid should reduce and caramelize. Preheat oven to broiler and prepare a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Use forks to shred the pork and broil under high heat for 2-3 minutes until the edges start to brown. Remove and add ¼ cup of the juices and broil for another 2-3 minutes. Add a little more of the broth once removed to make sure it's crispy but moist.
While broiling the pork, heat an 8 inch frying pan to medium heat. Add 1 teaspoon of olive oil and cook the corn tortillas individually on each side for about 30 seconds. Repeat for however many corn tortillas you'll be using. Serve with pork, chopped onion, chopped cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice.

Notes

Don’t skip broiling the pork as it gives it a nice char and additional texture.
Freshly squeeze the oranges and limes to get the juice you need. Bottled juice just isn't the same.
Although carnitas are traditionally served on corn tortillas, you can use flour tortillas if you prefer.
To make the corn tortillas pliable, heat a small skillet over medium heat and cook for 30 seconds on each side. You can also cover the tortillas with a wet paper towel and place in the microwave for 30 seconds.

Nutrition