Carnitas

I love carnitas, but I struggled to find a really great recipe to make at home. Finally, I did some experimentation and combined multiple recipes into something we really like. I hope you enjoy it as well.

Ingredients

  • 4-4.5 lb pork shoulder, deboned
  • 1 tbsp cumin
  • 1 tbsp garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp onion powder
  • 2 tbsp chili powder
  • 2 tbsp lime juice
  • 1/2 cup orange juice
  • 4 sprigs fresh oregano
  • 1/4 cup juice from sliced jalapeno jar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
  • 1 large white onion, finely chopped
  • 2 fresh jalapenos, thinly sliced (use jar jalapenos if you don’t have fresh)
  • 3 cloves garlic, crushed and finely chopped
  • Tacos with Garnish
    • white corn tortillas
    • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
    • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped
    • 1/2 white onion, finely chopped
    • sliced jalapenos, to taste
    • your favorite taco sauce, I recommend a good verde sauce

Instructions

  1. the night before, slice the pork into 1 inch strips and place in a 1 gallon zip top bag with 2 sprigs of oregano.
  2. In a bowl, whisk together cumin, garlic power, onion powder, chili powder, lime juice, orange juice, jalapeno jar juice, salt and black pepper to make a marinade.
  3. Pour marinate over the pork in the zip top bag. Get as much air out as possible while you close the bag. Use your hands to massage the bag and distribute the marinade over all the pork. Place in the refrigerator overnight.
  4. The next morning, chop a large white onion and your jalapenos. Be sure to wash your hands well with soap and water after slicing fresh jalapeno!
  5. Pour the pork and marinade into your crock pot. Add your chopped onion and jalapenos on top of the pork and lightly stir to combine.
  6. Set the crock pot to low and cook for 8 to 9 hours, lightly stirring every 2 to 3 hours.
  7. Turn on your broiler to high.
  8. Remove pork from the crock pot and place on a cookie sheet with walls. Pull the meat and spread evenly.
  9. Spoon about 1-2 cups of the juices and vegetable from the crock pot over the pulled meat. Use tongs to mix well and form an even layer . It should be very moist, but not swimming.
  10. Place under the broiler for about 7 to 8 minutes or until you see a little char develop on the surface.
  11. Remove from the broiler and use your tongs to turn the pork and spread evenly again.
  12. Return to the broiler for another 7 to 8 minutes or until another light char has developed on the surface.
  13. Remove from the broiler and use your tongs to turn and stir the pork again. Set aside or store for later.
  14. Place a small frying pan over a medium high heat.
  15. Put vegetable oil into a small dish. Use a pastry brush to lightly coat the frying pan with oil.
  16. Add a tortilla to the pan and brush the top with a little more vegetable oil.
  17. After about 20-40 seconds, turn over the tortilla in the pan. It should have golden brown spots. It may puff up a bit as the second side cooks, so just press it down into the pan if that happens.
  18. After another 10-20 seconds, place the cooked tortilla onto a plate covered by a paper towel.
  19. Repeat for how many tacos you’d like to prepare.
  20. To serve, place some pork onto a tortilla and drizzle with taco sauce. Add on a few jalapenos if desired. Sprinkle with diced onion and cilantro. Enjoy!