This is my first time making carnitas. And it came out sing-off I had to write it down. I don’t have a vat of lard like the traditional way they make carnitas in Mexico. But I did it in my Dutch oven and it worked out perfectly. It actually came out leaner and I enjoyed it more than street tacos.
What I love is that there is no searing or frying. Everything goes into the pot in 5 minutes. And you let the oven do the rest of the work. If you work at your laptop it works out perfectly.
(See video at bottom of post)
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Oven Baked Carnitas
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 4 hours
Ingredients (for 6)
- 2.24 lb. Pork collar, shoulder or butt (recipe works for 2-3 lbs. pork)
- 1 ¼ tsp. Salt
- ½ tsp. Black pepper
- ½ onion, chopped
- ½ jalapeño (inused Serrano)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ⅓ cup orange juice
- 1 dried guajillo chile (optional)
Rub:
- ½ Tbsp oregano
- 1 tsp. Cumin
- ½ Tbsp olive oil.
Directions:
1. Pat down the pork with paper towels to dry. Then season with salt and pepper.
2. Combine rub ingredients and rub onto pork all over.
3. In a Dutch oven place pork in there with the fat cap up. Add in the onion, Chiles, garlic and orange juice. Add in 2 cups of water (it shouldn’t cover the pork).
4. Place in the oven with lid (or foil tightly) on at 325 F for 2 hours.
5. after 2 hours uncover pork and return to the oven for 1-1.5 hours or until pork shreds easily. Add more water if needed during cooking.
6. Remove pork and place in a baking dish. Let cool a bit. Then shred with two forks. Strain the cooking liquid and keep it for reheating the pork.
7. Place cooking liquid and pork in fridge if eating later. I like to make it up to a day ahead and heat it up. Best pork in a nonstick pan until a little crispy.
I served it two ways. One was with barbecue sauce (primal brand) on a brioche bun like a pulled pork sandwich. and the other was in tacos with salsa. I was partial to the tacos!
Oven Baked Carnitas
Ingredients
Ingredients (for 6)
- 2.24 lb. Pork collar shoulder or butt (recipe works for 2-3 lbs. pork)
- 1 ¼ tsp. Salt
- ½ tsp. Black pepper
- ½ onion chopped
- ½ jalapeño inused Serrano
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ⅓ cup orange juice
- 1 dried guajillo chile optional
Rub:
- ½ Tbsp oregano
- 1 tsp. Cumin
- ½ Tbsp olive oil.
Instructions
Directions:
- Pat down the pork with paper towels to dry. Then season with salt and pepper.
- Combine rub ingredients and rub onto pork all over.
- In a Dutch oven place pork in there with the fat cap up. Add in the onion, Chiles, garlic and orange juice. Add in 2 cups of water (it shouldn’t cover the pork).
- Place in the oven with lid (or foil tightly) on at 325 F for 2 hours.
- after 2 hours uncover pork and return to the oven for 1-1.5 hours or until pork shreds easily. Add more water if needed during cooking.
- Remove pork ans place in a baking dish. Let cool a bit. Then shred with two forks. Strain the cooking liquid and keep it for reheating the pork.
- Place cooking liquid and pork in fridge if eating later. I like to make it up to a day ahead and heat it up. Best pork in a nonstick pan until a little crispy.
- I served it two ways. One was with barbecue sauce (primal brand) on a brioche bun like a pulled pork sandwich. and the other was in tacos with salsa. I was partial to the tacos!
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