Introduction: Easy Pork Carnitas
This simple carnitas-style recipe makes an amazing filling for tacos, burritos etc. This version uses pork shoulder, although we've used the exact same technique with beef and even chicken and it works just as well. You'll notice that there are no specific measurements given - it's pretty flexible and forgiving so you can adjust it to make it your own.
Ingredients:
- Pork Shoulder
- Salt / Pepper
- Orange
For the tacos:
- Corn Tortillas
- Sour Cream
- Avocados
- Cilantro
For Pico De Gallo
- Jalapeno Pepper
- White Onion
- Tomatoes
- Lime
- Honey
Step 1: Prepare Your Meat
We made this with a pork shoulder roast, but you could easily use pork shoulder steaks as well. Make sure to choose a piece where the meat is well marbled with fat, this is the secret to the crispiness of the end product.
Trim any large excess pieces of fat from the pork shoulder. Cut the rest of the pork into small cubes around 1/2 inch in size.
In a bowl, combine the pork with the juice of Addan orange and a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper.
Heat up a large pan on a medium heat for a few minutes and add the pork to the pan. Add enough water to the pan to almost cover the pork.
Step 2: After 15 Minutes...
As the water heats up, keep an eye on it. After about 15 minutes the water should be gently bubbling and you can stir up the pork and turn the heat down to simmer.
Step 3: After an Hour or So...
Stir the carnitas occasionally over the next couple of hours. The pork will braise until it's tender, and as the water evaporates, the fat in the pork will render out, and this will heat up and make the outside of the carnitas nice and crispy.
Step 4: After 2-3 Hours...
After a few hours the water will have evaporated and the rendered fat will make the outside of the pieces of pork nice and crispy. You can loosen the bits that stick to the bottom of the pan by adding a little water to the pan and scrape it up.
Step 5: Make a Little Pico De Gallo
Chop up onion, tomatoes, and jalapeño into equal size cubes. Mix in a bowl with a teaspoon of honey, the juice of half a lime and a pinch of salt.
Step 6: Assemble Your Tacos!
Serve on corn tortillas with avocado, cilantro, pico de gallo, sour cream and a little squeeze of lime.