Pork Carnitas

By Libbie Summers
Recipe by Pati Jinich (with a couple of tweaks)

I’ve been making carnitas since as long as I can remember, but it wasn’t until the blizzard that hit New York City in January 2016 (when I made Pati Jinich’s recipe) that I upped my carnitas game. I was in NYC food styling a shoot for Better Homes and Gardens for their May issue (we were working 3 months in advance) and we were featuring Pati’s recipes from her new book. This was one of them…and it changed my life forever. Just the addition of one or two ingredients and a whole new world opens up. It’s easy, it’s affordable, it feeds a crowd and it’s damn near impossible to beat.

Pork Carnitas
serves 8

What you need:
1/2 a white onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
6 cloves garlic
*1/2 whole jalapeno (cut lengthwise) *my addition
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pinch cumin
4 whole cloves, stems removed *(I used 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves)
1 tablespoon kosher or coarse sea salt, or to taste
1 tablespoon lard, vegetable shortening or oil
4 to 5 pounds boneless pork shoulder or butt, cut into 4-inch chunks, fat on!
Kosher or flake sea salt
2 bay leaves
1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
Corn tortillas, charred for serving
Salsa verde, for serving (optional)
Radish, cut into matchsticks for serving (optional)
Cilantro, chopped for serving (optional)

What to do:

In the jar of a blender, place the 1 1/2 cups water, onion, *jalapeno, garlic cloves, marjoram, thyme, black pepper, cumin, cloves and 1 tablespoon salt. Puree until smooth.

Set a large Dutch oven or heavy casserole over medium-high heat. Add the lard (or vegetable shortening or oil), and once it has heated up, add the pork chunks and sprinkle in 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Brown the meat on all sides, stirring and flipping as each side browns, about 10 minutes.

Pour the onion mixture over the meat, let it come to a simmer and cook for 5 to 6 minutes. Pour in the orange juice and sweetened condensed milk, add the 2 bay leaves, and give it a good stir. Let it come to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low to low and cover.

Cook covered, stirring and scrapping the bottom of the casserole 2 to 3 times along the way, until the meat is completely cooked and coming easily apart if you pull one piece, about one hour and a half (this took 2 1/2 to 3 hours for me). Remove the lid, cook for another 4 to 5 minutes. Scoop out the carnitas with a slotted spoon, leaving any fat behind, and serve in a bowl or platter. Shred with a fork, if desired, before tucking into tacos. Or do like we do, serve straight from the pot.

To Serve: Serve warm with charred tortillas and cilantro, salsa verde and radish on the side.

Pork Carnitas

Pinterest

TWEET TWEET @LIBBIESUMMERS

Categories