Orange and Milk-Braised Pork Carnitas

It must have been the subliminal beer and liquor advertising that got me, because I wasn't even thinking about Cinco de Mayo when I decided to make this milk-braised pork carnitas recipe. The milk braising beforehand seems to give the meat a little extra succulence. The subtle sweetness from the orange is also very nice.

• Preparation Time: 10 mins
• Cooking Time: 2 hr
• Total Time: 2 hr 10 mins
• Calories: 325 Calories

Ingredients

• 2 cups whole milk
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 ½ pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into large pieces
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt, or more to taste
• 1 orange, juiced and zested

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).

Step 2

Season pork with pepper and salt.

Step 3

Heat oil in large pot over high heat. Working in batches, cook pork in the hot oil until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Return all cooked pork and accumulated juice to pot.

Step 4

Season pork with bay leaves, cumin, dried oregano, and cayenne pepper. Stir in fresh orange juice, orange zest, and milk. Bring mixture to a boil over high heat; reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until meat is fork tender but not falling apart, about 2 hours.

Step 5

Remove pork from liquid. Skim some fat from the pot to grease a baking dish. Transfer the pieces of pork to the baking dish. Drizzle about 2 more tablespoons of the floating fat over the meat. Season with more salt, if needed.

Step 6

Bake in preheated oven until pork is browned, about 15 minutes. Stir pork.

Step 7

Turn on oven's broiler. Cook pork under broiler until crisp, 2 to 3 minutes.