Carnitas Recipe
User Reviews
5.0
9 reviews
Excellent
-
Prep Time
25 mins
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Cook Time
2 hrs
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Servings
10 to 12
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Calories
638 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Mexican
Carnitas Recipe
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This Mexican Carnitas Recipe of seasoned pork is slow-fried in lard with spices, oranges, limes, and onions until tender and flavorful.
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Ingredients
- 3 ½ pound bone-in pork shoulder cut onto large 1 pound chunks
- 1 rack St. Louis sparerib cut into 3 to 4 bone pieces
- 2 12 ” x 6” fresh pork skin cueritos , optional
- 4 pounds of lard
- 1 peeled yellow onion cut into quarters
- 8 garlic cloves
- 2 oranges and juice
- 2 limes and juice
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons dry oregano
- 2 tablespoons dry thyme
- 12 ounce Can evaporated Milk
- Lime juice to taste
- coarse salt to taste
Instructions
- Cut the pork shoulder into roughly 1-pound pieces. Cut the ribs into 3-4 bone chinks.
- Place them on a rack over a sheet tray lined with parchment paper. Generously season the pork on all sides with salt. You’ll most likely use 1 ½ to 2 tablespoons. Cover and refrigerate overnight or for 4 to 48 hours.
- Take the pork from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature to take the chill off.
- In the meantime, heat the lard in a large 2 ½ to 3-gallon rondeau or pot over medium heat until it reaches 325°.
- Add in the pork shoulder and cook while constantly stirring for 30 minutes.
- Next, add in the ribs and cook for an additional 30 minutes while constantly stirring.
- While the pork is cooking, add the oregano, thyme, and bay leaves to a piece of cheesecloth and tie it tight with butcher’s twine to make a sachet de spice.
- Once the ribs have been in the oil for 30 minutes, add onions, garlic, orange juice and oranges, lime juice and limes, sachet, salt, and evaporated milk. Stir everything together.
- If you have the pork skin, lay the dried cuerito over top and cook for 50 to 60 minutes while stirring everything, every 4 to 5 minutes so that nothing gets stuck.
- The pork should be at least 190° internally and can reach 205° if you like it shredded.
- Remove the pork pieces from the lard, set aside on a rack over a sheet tray, and let it rest for 10 minutes.
- Remove any bones and cut the pork down to bitesize pieces.
- Toss it with lime juice and salt, and serve it with additional limes, or in carnitas tacos.
Notes
- Make-Ahead: You can make this up to 30 minutes ahead of time. Keep it warm in the oven, covered in foil, at low temperatures (200°) until it’s ready to be served.
- How to Store: Cover and keep it in the refrigerator for five days. You can freeze this covered for up to 3 months. Thaw the carnitas in the refrigerator until thawed before reheating.
- How to Reheat: Add the desired amount of pork carnitas to a medium-sized pan with 2 to 3 tablespoons of water and heat over low heat until warm.
- You can leave the bones on the cuts of pork, no problem.
- After 20 minutes of cooking, fond will collect on the bottom of the pot, even in the lard. I use the same technique when searing protein: I take the pork shoulder and ribs chunks and move them around the bottom of the pan to help create a darker, more flavorful Maillard crust.
- If you use pig skin, I like to soak it in water with a little bit of salt 60 minutes before cooking it. This can help remove any impurities and soften them as well. Right before cooking it, I take it out of the water and give it a quick dry on paper towels.
- The heat of the lard will naturally come down with the cold pork and will hang around 250° to 275°, which is perfect for a long cook in fat.
- The milk's calcium softens the pork protein by reacting with the enzymes.
- When the oil cools, strain it through a coffee filter, label it, and store it in the refrigerator for up to 6 weeks. If it isn’t dark, you can use it for 3 to 4 more deep fries or as the cooking fat in your other recipes.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Calories
638kcal
(32%)
Carbohydrates
11g
(4%)
Protein
24g
(48%)
Fat
57g
(88%)
Saturated Fat
42g
(210%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
2g
Monounsaturated Fat
10g
Trans Fat
0.02g
Cholesterol
82mg
(27%)
Sodium
143mg
(6%)
Potassium
560mg
(16%)
Fiber
2g
(8%)
Sugar
7g
(14%)
Vitamin A
239IU
(5%)
Vitamin C
23mg
(26%)
Calcium
148mg
(15%)
Iron
2mg
(11%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 10to 12
Amount Per Serving
Calories 638 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 638kcal | 32% |
| Carbohydrates | 11g | 4% |
| Protein | 24g | 48% |
| Fat | 57g | 88% |
| Saturated Fat | 42g | 210% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 2g | 12% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 10g | 50% |
| Trans Fat | 0.02g | 1% |
| Cholesterol | 82mg | 27% |
| Sodium | 143mg | 6% |
| Potassium | 560mg | 12% |
| Fiber | 2g | 8% |
| Sugar | 7g | 14% |
| Vitamin A | 239IU | 5% |
| Vitamin C | 23mg | 26% |
| Calcium | 148mg | 15% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5.0
9 reviews
Excellent
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