Out Of This World Carnitas Recipe
These will make you feel all warm and toasty inside, like you're eating right at the Mexican border..
Pork shoulder* is roasted in the oven, and then crisped to perfection on the stove-you will not be able to get enough! No need to pan sear before roasting, just after it is baked and shredded..
We serve these on homemade tortillas with all the fixins': lettuce, salsa/Pico de Gallo, avocado, etc.
*This recipe will not work with a tenderloin, it is much too lean and you will not receive the same results.
Ingredients
Pork [Boston Butt] Shoulder Roast, approximately 4 pounds
2 1/2 TSP salt
1 TSP black pepper
1 onion , chopped
1 Jalapeno, chopped with seeds removed
4 Cloves of Garlic, minced
Juice from 2 oranges (don't worry, you won't taste the orange flavor in the end!)
RUB
1 TBSP Dried Oregano
2 TSP Ground Cumin
1 TBSP Olive Oil
Instructions
Preheat oven to 325 Degrees Fahrenheit
Rinse and dry the pork shoulder, and rub all over with salt and pepper.
Combine the Rub ingredients then rub all over the pork.
Place in a roasting pan, top with the onion, jalapeño, minced garlic, 2 cups of water, and squeeze over the juice of the oranges.
Cover tightly with foil or a lid, and roast for 3-3.5 hours, checking half way through to see if more water needs added. You should end up with 1 1/2 to 2 cups of liquid when it finishes cooking.
If you have a lot more than 2 cups of juice, then reduce it down to about 2 cups on the stove. Set liquid aside - don't bother straining the onions, peppers, etc., they are super soft.
TO CRISP:
Heat 1 TBSP of oil in a large non stick pan or well seasoned skillet over high heat. Spread pork in the pan, drizzle over some juices. Wait until the juices evaporate and the bottom side is golden brown and crusty. Turn and just briefly sear the other side - you don't want to make it brown all over because then it's too crispy, you still want some tender, juicy bits.
Remove pork from skillet. Repeat in batches (about four batches) - just don't crowd the pan.
Right before serving, drizzle over more juices and serve hot.