Simple Stovetop Pork Carnitas - Heart's Content Farmhouse

Prep Time:20

Cook Time:2

Total Time:2 20

Equipment

Heavy bottomed pot with lid
food processor (or a sharp knife if you don't have one)
Measuring spoons
Wooden spoon or spatula

Ingredients

For the Rub

1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon cumin seed
3 cloves of garlic
2 whole jalapenos
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Cooking the Pork

4 pound pork shoulder (trimmed of excess fat)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 orange (juice only)
2 limes (juice only)
1 cup chicken broth

For Serving

warm tortillas, cilantro, diced onions, lime wedges

Instructions

Prepare the pork. Pat the pork shoulder dry with paper towels and cut it in half to create two 2-pound portions.
Season the pork. Combine the ground cumin, cumin seed, minced garlic, jalapenos, oregano, salt, and black pepper in a food processor. Pulse until a smooth paste forms. Then, rub this mixture all over the pork, ensuring it’s well-coated.
Brown the pork. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Then, add the pork shoulder and brown on all sides, about 3-4 minutes per side, until a golden-brown crust forms.
Cook the pork. Pour the chicken broth into the pot. Squeeze the juice from the orange and limes over the pork. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and reduce the heat to the lowest setting. Let it simmer for 2-3 hours or until the pork is tender and easily shredded with a fork. If it’s not tender, continue cooking, checking every 30 minutes until it is.
Shred the pork. Once the pork is tender, remove it from the pot and rest for 15-30 minutes. Using two forks, shred the pork into bite-sized pieces.
Serve. Serve the shredded pork with warm tortillas, cilantro, diced onions, and lime wedges. You can also use the carnitas in tacos, burritos, or over nachos and salads.

Notes

Orange and lime juices are important for making the pork soft because their acid breaks down the meat fibers. If you run out of fresh citrus, you can use bottled juice, which gives the best bright and strong taste.

Make sure the pork is mostly covered in liquid when you add the broth and citrus juice. If not, pour more broth or water to cook the meat evenly. Otherwise, the part sticking out might get dry before it softens.

Don’t throw away the juice left in the pot after cooking; it tastes great! Drizzle some over the pulled pork to keep it moist, or keep it for reheating leftovers to prevent them from drying out.

Let the pork sit for at least 15 minutes after cooking before you pull it apart. This helps keep it juicy. If you shred it right away, you might lose many juices and get drier meat.

Give the carnitas a taste before serving and see if it needs more salt or lime. The long cooking time can tone down the flavors, so a little extra salt or a lime squeeze can brighten them up.

For a bit of crunch, spread the shredded pork on a baking sheet and broil it for a few minutes. This will crisp up the edges like the carnitas you get at a restaurant. Just watch it closely because it can crisp fast!

Feel free to try new toppings for the carnitas. Pickled veggies, avocado, a bit of crema, or pineapple salsa can add a fresh twist.

Serve a little cooking juice when you dish up the carnitas. It adds extra moisture and flavor, especially if you’ve crisped the pork under the broiler.

Carnitas are super flexible - you can do more than just tacos with them. Serve them over rice for a bowl, in quesadillas, on a sandwich (try a carnitas torta!), or even with scrambled eggs in breakfast burritos.

Nutrition

Servings: servings

Calories: 241kcal

Author: Katie