Homesick Texan Carnitas

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Ingredients

3 pounds boneless pork shoulder or pork butt, cut into 2-inch cubes
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup lime juice (from about 2 to 3 limes)
4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon Kosher salt, plus more to taste
Corn tortillas, for serving
Avocado slices, chopped cilantro and fixings of your choice (we love pickled jalapenos or onions, lime wedges and a bit of slaw)

Kid-Friendly Intermediate Mexican Budget-Friendly ...

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Preparation

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Step 1

Place the pork in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot.

Step 2

Add the orange juice, lime juice, garlic, cumin, salt and enough water to just barely cover the meat.

Step 3

Bring the pot to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer.

Step 4

Simmer uncovered for two hours. Don’t touch the meat.

Step 5

After two hours, increase the heat to medium-high and while occasionally stirring and turning the pieces, continue to cook for about 45 minutes, or until all of the liquid has evaporated, leaving only the rendered pork fat.

Step 6

Let it sizzle in this fat long enough to brown at the edges, turning pieces gently (they’ll be eager to fall apart), only as needed.

Step 7

When pork has browned on both sides, it’s ready. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Step 8

Serve on warmed tortillas with fixings.

Chef’s notes

This isn’t to say that you can’t add more ingredients to the pot. In her first book, Lisa Fain who you may know from her blog Homesick Texan, cooks her carnitas in a little salt and fresh-squeezed lime and orange juices plus some cumin and garlic.

The flavors are gentle enough that they don’t overwhelm the pork, but amazing enough that you’ll probably be fishing “tasters” out of the pot long before you share them with others.

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Homesick Texan Carnitas

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