Mexican Style Carnitas Pork Roast Recipes

Steps:

• Heat the vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven over high heat. Season the pork shoulder with salt, then arrange the pork in the Dutch oven. Cook until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Add the onion, garlic, lime juice, chili powder, oregano, and cumin. Pour in the chicken broth, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and continue to simmer until pork is very tender, about 2 1/2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Transfer the pork shoulder to a large baking sheet, reserving the cooking liquid. Drizzle with a small amount of the reserved cooking liquid and lightly season with salt.
• Bake the pork in the preheated oven until browned, about 30 minutes. Drizzle more of the cooking liquid on the meat every 10 minutes, and use two forks to shred the meat as it browns.

Steps:

• Place meat in a medium-size roasting pan. Sprinkle with garlic and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper. Squeeze the juice from one orange and the lemon over the meat. Slice the remaining oranges and place over the meat. , Cover and bake at 350° for about 2 hours or until meat is tender. With a slotted spoon, remove meat and drain well on paper towels. Heat a small amount of oil in a skillet and fry meat in batches until browned and crispy. , Serve warm in tortillas with toppings of your choice. Freeze option: Freeze cooled pork mixture in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Fry meat in batches as directed until crispy and brown. Serve as directed.

Steps:

• If preparing as a roast:.
• Place roast in a bowl large enough to hold it plus several cups of liquid (marinade).
• Grind/blend together all ingredients (except jalapenos and pork) in a blender, immersion blender, mini chopper, or food processor. When mixed and well-blended, pour over pork. The marinade should almost cover the pork- if it doesn't, add more OJ and milk until it's almost covered.
• Cover and marinate the pork in the fridge for 12-24 hours. Turn every few hours.
• When ready to cook the piggy, preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Place pork in a greased (or PAM'd) roasting pan (I sometimes use a roasting rack inside a pan) with the fatty side UP.
• Bake pork at 400 until the top gets crispy and brown.
• Once the top has browned, cover the roast with foil and place back in the oven. Depending on how you like to cook your meat, you could lower the temp slightly for a longer cooking time.
• Baste the roast every 30 minutes or so to help infuse it with deliciousness (optional).
• Cooking time will vary widely depending on the size of your roast. I usually get a 10-lb roast, which takes 2-3 hours usually to cook.
• Once your roast is at your ideal temp (145*-160*), take from the oven.
• If you'd like to serve it as a roast now, let it rest for 15 or 20 minutes and then slice it. It will be fairly tender but should hold together well for slicing.
• Leftovers freeze well! Just throw any leftovers (including the bone) into the crockpot on low with a few sliced jalapenos, shred with 2 forks, and you'll have carnitas! I serve my carnitas with pan-fried corn tortillas, chopped red onion, cilantro, and a lime wedge.
• ***If you're planning on starting this in the crockpot for Carnitas, you will not need to add the whole amount of liquids. This roast is very fatty and will create a lot of its own juice. Pour the marinade in to the crock, leaving 3 or 4 inches clear at the top. Add sliced jalapenos (if desired). Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours until cooked and falling apart. Shred with 2 forks, throw the bone away, and enjoy!***.