This carnitas recipe is Chef John's method for slow-roasting pork in lard, citrus, garlic, and fragrant spices until tender inside and crisp outside.
Preparation Time
15 mins
Cooking Time
3 hr 40 mins
Total Time
3 hr 55 mins
Calories
317 Calories
Recipe Instructions
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C).
Step 2
Set an oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven's broiler.
Step 3
Remove fat from pork; cut meat into 2-inch cubes and roughly chop fat.
Step 4
Mix together pork meat and fat with garlic, olive oil, orange peel, orange juice, salt, bay leaves, black pepper, cumin, cinnamon, and 5-spice powder in a large bowl until pork is coated completely. Transfer mixture to a 9x13-inch baking dish. Cover the dish tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil, then place on a baking sheet.
Step 5
Bake in the preheated oven until pork is fork tender, about 3 1/2 hours.
Step 6
Remove garlic, orange peel, and bay leaves from the baking dish. Transfer pork to a colander set in a bowl. Pour accumulated juices from the baking dish over pork. Return pork to the baking dish and drizzle with some accumulated juices.
Step 7
Cook under the preheated broiler for 3 minutes. Drizzle more accumulated juices over pork and continue broiling until crispy, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer pork to a serving plate and drizzle with remaining accumulated juices.
Ingredients
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon kosher salt
8 cloves garlic, peeled
3 pounds boneless pork butt (shoulder)
1 orange, juiced, orange parts of peel removed and sliced into thin strips
