Carnitas
Boneless pork shoulder and orange come together in this Mexican pork β 65 minutes, 7 steps, and the kind of result worth repeating. You'll find the full ingredient list (with a scaler to change the servings), 7 steps of method, substitutions, and ideas for what to serve alongside.
You'll mainly reach for oven and large pot. At medium difficulty across 7 steps, it's manageable with a little attention.
What you'll need
Shopping list (2)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
π Unit converter
How to make it
- Cut the pork shoulder into large 5 cm chunks, season generously with salt, cumin and oregano, and toss so every piece is coated.
- Melt the lard in a heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat and brown the pork in batches until deeply colored on all sides, about 4 minutes per batch.
- Halve the onion and add it with the smashed garlic cloves, bay leaves, the juice of the orange and the spent orange halves, then pour in the water and bring to a gentle simmer.
- Cover and cook low and slow for about 2.5 to 3 hours, turning the meat occasionally, until the pork is fully tender and pulls apart easily; the connective tissue should be completely broken down, which happens well above the 71Β°C minimum safe temperature for pork.
- Remove the lid, discard the orange halves, onion and bay leaves, and let the liquid reduce until the pork sizzles in its own rendered fat.
- Raise the heat and let the pork crisp and caramelize on the bottom for 8 to 10 minutes, turning once, until edges are golden and crusty while the inside stays moist.
- Shred the meat coarsely with two forks, taste for salt, and serve hot with warm tortillas, lime and chopped onion.
You'll use: Oven Β· Large pot Β· Saucepan
What to serve with Carnitas
- Chicken Enchilada Casserole Chicken
- Cajun spiced fish tacos Seafood
- Braised Beef Chilli Beef
- Crock Pot Chicken Baked Tacos Chicken
Tips & common questions
How long does Carnitas take to make?
About 65 minutes from start to finish β an estimate based on the 7 steps and 10 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes β use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
How should I store leftovers?
Cool leftovers quickly, refrigerate in an airtight container, and eat within 3 days. Reheat until piping hot throughout.
Related recipes
Carnitas is an original Mexican recipe developed in-house by Consomee. Photo: Carnitas in Mexico.jpg by Tomascastelazo, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure on top β how we source recipes.