This pork carnitas recipe is undoubtedly delicious and very versatile. It can be served in salad bowls, over tortillas (did someone say Taco Tuesday?), over rice, as a pizza topper, and with barbecue sauce, to name a few. Pork carnitas is very popular in Mexican cuisine. This dish is traditionally made with pork shoulder, also referred to as Boston butt or pork butt. Some people use pork loin, instead of pork shoulder to make carnitas. I personally prefer to make carnitas with pork shoulder because this cut yields juicer and softer carnitas.
Pork loin vs. Pork shoulder
Pork loin is a large cut of meat from the back of a pig, along the dorsal side of the rib cage. It’s a leaner cut of meat than pork shoulder. It has less fat. Pork shoulder on the other hand is very rich in fat. It comes from the upper part of the shoulder.
The traditional way to make carnitas involves cooking the pork slowly in lard. This Dutch oven variation omits the lard. Dutch ovens are very ideal for making carnitas; they are perfect for braises because they retain and distribute heat evenly.
Pork carnitas leftovers can be refrigerated for 4 to 5 days and be reheated in a skillet.
Crispy Dutch Oven Pork Carnitas
Equipment
- 7-Quart Dutch Oven
Ingredients
- 4 pounds boneless and skinless pork shoulder or butt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 8-10 cloves garlic peeled
- 2½ cups chicken broth unsalted
- ¾ cup orange juice
- ½ cup lime juice
- 2 tablespoons dried oregano leaves
- 2 tablespoons cumin
- 2 tablespoons cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons chili pepper powder
- 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 celery sticks
- 1 large onion cut into 4-6 pieces
- 2 bay leaves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
- Cut pork into large cube pieces, pat dry, sprinkle with salt, and set aside.
- In a bowl, combine dried oregano leaves, cumin, cayenne pepper, paprika, chili pepper, red pepper flakes, and black pepper.
- Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in Dutch oven; add pork and sear all sides (3 to 5 minutes per side until they turn brown).
- Add chicken broth, orange juice, lime juice, spices, cloves of garlic, celery sticks, onions, and bay leaves to Dutch oven. Stir to combine ingredients.
- Cover Dutch oven with lid, transfer to oven and braise until pork is tender for approximatively 3.5 – 4 hours.
- Remove pork from Dutch oven, transfer to large sheet pan, and shred meat using two forks.
- Spoon some the juice (about ¼ cup) from Dutch oven and pour over pork. Broil meat for approximatively 8-10 minutes or until pork start to develop crispy edges.
