Pork Carnitas

Ingredients

• 4 lbs boneless pork shoulder (pork butt), cut into 3-inch chunks
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 white onion, quartered
• 6 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 orange, halved
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cup water, plus more as needed
• 24 small corn tortillas, for serving
• 1/2 cup white onion, finely chopped, for serving
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped, for serving
• 2 limes, cut into wedges

Nutrition (estimated per serving)

Method

1. Pat the pork chunks dry with paper towels and place them in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven. Season evenly with the salt, cumin, and oregano, tossing with your hands to coat every piece.
2. Add the onion quarters, garlic cloves, and bay leaves to the pot. Squeeze the juice from both orange halves over the meat, then drop the squeezed orange halves right into the pot too - the peel adds bitter-sweet aromatic oils as it cooks.
3. Pour in 1 cup of water (it will not fully cover the meat, and that is fine - the pork releases its own fat and juices as it cooks). Set the pot over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer.
4. Once simmering, reduce the heat to low so the liquid barely bubbles. Cover the pot and cook for 2 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours, checking every 45 minutes and adding a splash of water if the pot looks dry, until the pork is completely fork-tender and shreds apart with almost no resistance.
5. Remove the pot from the heat and use tongs to fish out and discard the orange halves and bay leaves. Transfer the pork pieces to a large bowl using a slotted spoon, reserving the flavorful liquid left in the pot.
6. Using two forks, shred the pork into large chunks and thin strands right in the bowl - do not shred it too finely, or it will dry out and turn stringy when crisped.
7. Skim off about 1/2 cup of the fat that has risen to the top of the reserved cooking liquid and heat it in a large 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers.
8. Working in batches so the pan is not crowded, add a layer of shredded pork to the hot skillet in a single layer. Let it cook undisturbed for 3 to 4 minutes until the bottom turns deep golden brown and crispy, then flip the pieces with a spatula and crisp the other side for 2 to 3 minutes.
9. Ladle 2 to 3 tablespoons of the reserved cooking liquid over the crisping pork partway through to keep it from drying out completely while it browns; let the liquid sizzle away before removing the pork.
10. Transfer the crisped pork to a large serving platter and repeat with the remaining shredded pork, adding more of the reserved fat to the skillet between batches as needed.
11. Warm the corn tortillas in a dry skillet over medium heat for about 30 seconds per side until soft and pliable, stacking them in a kitchen towel to stay warm.
12. Serve the crispy carnitas piled onto warm tortillas, topped with chopped white onion and cilantro, with lime wedges alongside for squeezing over each taco.

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