Who knew that tacos could taste this good? By simply braising your pork in a few flavor packed ingredients you can create amazing carnitas at home.
Pork shoulder is the best choice for slow cooking and shredding. The fat and connective tissue produces great flavor, and keeps it from drying out.
Start with a boneless pork shoulder and rub it with a seasoning blend of cumin, chili powder, oregano, black & cayenne peppers, and cinnamon. To bring out the best flavor, be sure to choose quality ingredients. Experiment with different types of cinnamon and find the one that you prefer. Even with a very small amount, the cinnamon brings it all together.
Sprinkle the blend over the pork and rub it in.
Combine fresh squeezed lime & orange juices, beer, and salsa. Don’t take shortcuts - use fresh squeezed juice! Citrus is easier to juice at room temperature, and you can roll it on the counter a few times under your palm to loosen it up.
Choose a robust beer, like a bock. The purpose of the beer is flavor, and not just liquid. (Can you tell I have an opinion?) I’m not as particular with the salsa as I am with the beer. I save the good salsa for the chips.
Place the pork in a Dutch oven and pour in the braising liquid. It should just about cover the meat. Bring it to a boil on the stove and then cover it and place in a 375° oven. Allow the pork to cook several hours until it breaks apart with a fork.
While the pork is cooking, line a sheet pan with foil, and prepare your fixings.
Place the cooked pork on the lined sheet pan and shred it using two forks. If cooked long enough, the pork will shred very easily. Place the sheet pan under the broiler until the edges begin to crisp.
Serve the carnitas with your favorite tortillas, sides, and fixings. The carnitas flavor is so good we keep it simple with a tortilla, fresh cilantro, cheese, and a side of the good salsa. Just like with cinnamon, experiment with cheese. Pictured below is grated cotija. We also like queso fresco, and shredded Mexican blends.
The Mexican corn salad is a delicious complement to the carnitas. You can find that recipe under the Menu Ideas tab.
Carnitas
4-5 lbs. Pork shoulder, boneless
3 T Garlic, dried minced
1 T Salt
1 tsp Cumin, ground
1 tsp Chili powder
1 tsp Black pepper
1 tsp Oregano, ground
1/4 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Cayenne pepper
2 limes Lime juice, fresh
1/2 cup Orange juice, fresh
12 oz Beer (lager or bock)
1/2 cup Salsa
Combine the seasonings and rub onto the pork.
Combine the juices, beer, and salsa.
Place the pork in a Dutch oven and pour the liquid over.
Start the cooking process by bringing the liquid to a boil on the stovetop. Cover and place the Dutch oven in a 375° oven.
Cook for 2-3 hours until the meat is fork tender and falling apart.
Check the meat after an hour. If the meat looks dry add 1/2 cup water.
Once cooked remove the meat and shred with forks.
Place on foil lined sheet pan and broil for 5-10 minutes until the edges begin to brown.
Serve with tortillas, cheddar or queso cheese, avocado, tomato, cilantro, and sour cream.
Freeze the leftovers so you can enjoy carnitas next Tuesday, and the Tuesday after that. But if you’re like some in our family… live every day like it’s Taco Tuesday, or the 5th of May!
