The GüdDish Carnitas

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Carnitas. The GüdDish.

Serves 8 · 20–25 min prep · 200–215 min total · Pull at 195°F · 4 steps

Ingredients

Ingredients for Carnitas
  • 3 lb boneless pork shoulder, cut into 2-inch chunks
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 1 medium yellow onion, quartered
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 orange
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt

What the best recipes taught us

  • Cook the pork until it shreds with a fork. Fork-tender pork pulls into shreds for the broiler.
  • Broil the shredded pork until the edges are brown and crisp. The broiler gives the shredded pork a roasted crust.

Method

  1. 1
    Pork chunks tossed with salt, cumin, and oregano
    3lbsboneless pork shoulder
    2tspkosher salt
    1/2tspground black pepper
    1tspground cumin
    1tspdried oregano

    Heat the oven to 300°F.

    Cut the pork into 2-inch chunks.

    Toss the pork with the salt, pepper, cumin, and oregano in a large bowl.

  2. 2
    Pork, onion, garlic, and orange in a covered pot
    1 mediumyellow onion, quartered
    4garlic cloves
    2bay leaves
    1orange
    1/2cwater

    Put the pork in a heavy pot.

    Add the onion, garlic, and bay leaves to the pot.

    Squeeze the orange over the pot and drop in the squeezed halves.

    Add the water to the pot. Cover the pot.

  3. 3
    Tender pork shredded in the pot

    Bake until a thermometer in the thickest chunk reads 195°F and the pork shreds with a fork, about 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

    Take the pot out. Discard the orange, onion, garlic, and bay leaves.

  4. 4
    Shredded carnitas crisped on a baking sheet

    Heat the broiler.

    Shred the pork in the pot, then spread it on a baking sheet with some of the fat from the pot.

    Broil until the edges are brown and crisp, 5 to 8 minutes. Toss once so more edges brown.

    Serve hot.