For whatever reason, I had never made carnitas before yesterday. I had prepared pulled pork, but never pork carnitas. And I must say, I much prefer carnitas. Because unlike pulled pork, the meat is finished by roasting uncovered in the oven until all tender and brown with lovely crispy bits. Then removed from the pan, allowed to cool a bit, and shredded. Then returned to the pot and stirred into the remaining juice. So, in the end you have, tender, partially crisp, and very flavorful meat in sauce to use in any of your favorite Mexican recipes. Tacos, burritos, tamales, to name a few.

Last evening, I simply warmed some corn tortillas to hold the pork carnitas meat, then laid out homemade refried beans, diced avocado, finely chopped tomato, shredded cheese, sour cream, and a mild red salsa. Yum! And the beautiful part, I had spent hardly any prep time on this fabulous way to use a fairly inexpensive cut of pork. Well, the prep time was insignificant, but the time in the oven would preclude this being a great weekday recipe for any person getting home after 2:00 in the afternoon. Because the total time in the oven is at least 3 hours.

However, the good news is that the cook doesn’t have to babysit the pork while it’s in the oven. So, this is a great recipe for a Saturday or Sunday evening, or whatever day of the week you are off work.   

And oh my gosh, pork is so delicious fixed this way. The smell alone emanating from your oven is worth any effort expended on this dish. And while the pork is braising/roasting away, all you wonderful cooks out there will be free to attend to other household duties. Such as cleaning your house, doing loads of laundry, hunting and gathering groceries, providing assistance with your kid’s homework, gardening, and my personal favorite – chauffeuring your kidlets all over God’s creation! (And yes, I still have vague memories of weekends when my kids were young. But a lot of my time spent being a mommy to young children and keeping a household running remain a blur, which I fervently hope will solidify as I get old. OK, get even older! Because I would really like to remember a bit more about those very busy years of my life!) (And I know, be careful what you wish for!)

Anyway, take it from me, this dish from the recipetineats.com site is one you most assuredly should make at your earliest convenience. Your family will love it. And it’s absolutely guest worthy. Perfect for a taco party. (When we can once again welcome guests into our homes, that is!) 

So, as always, be adventurous in your kitchen, laugh out loud whenever the mood strikes, and cherish the time you spend with your family. They may drive you bat poop crazy some days, but those days will be long gone sooner than you can even begin to imagine.

Peace and love to all.

2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

2 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. ground cumin 

2½ lb. boneless, skinless pork shoulder, trimmed of as much fat as possible

½ onion , chopped

½ jalapeño, seeded, deveined and finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ c. orange juice

1½ c. water  

Combine the olive oil, salt, pepper, oregano, and cumin. Rinse and dry the pork, then rub all over with olive oil mixture. 

Place the pork in a Dutch oven or covered roasting pan. Surround the meat with the onion, jalapeño, minced garlic, orange juice, and water.

Cover and braise the meat in a pre-heated 325-degree oven for 2 hours. Uncover and continue roasting for another 60-90 minutes. During this time, the liquid will reduce considerably, and the meat will become brown and crisp. (Check after 60 minutes.) Add additional water if required. (You want to end up with very tender, partially crispy brown meat, and a scant cup of liquid.)

Remove meat to a platter, let cool slightly, then shred using two forks. Discard any fat. Add the meat back to the pot and stir to combine with the remaining liquid. Use in any of your favorite recipes.

Easy way to warm corn tortillas:

Wrap a stack of tortillas (five or fewer) in aluminum foil and heat at 350-degrees  for 15 to 20 minutes.