No-Waste Tacos de Carnitas
Prep Time: 25 Cook Time: 210
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Ingredients
- 1 medium onion
- 3 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into 2-inch cubes
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt + more to taste
- 1 medium orange
- 4 garlic cloves, halved
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cinnamon stick, broken into three or four pieces
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
Directions
Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 275°F (135°C). Cut one onion into fine dice and combine with cilantro. Refrigerate until needed. Split remaining onion into quarters. Set aside. Season pork with 1 tablespoon salt and place in a 9- by 13-inch glass baking dish. The pork should fill the dish with no extra space. Split orange into quarters and squeeze juice over pork. Nestle squeezed orange pieces into dish. Add 2 onion quarters, 4 cloves garlic, bay leaves, and cinnamon stick to dish. Nestle everything into an even layer. Pour vegetable oil over surface. Cover dish tightly with aluminum foil and place in oven. Cook until pork is fork tender, about 3 1/2 hours. Set large fine-mesh strainer over a 1-quart liquid measuring cup or bowl. Using tongs, remove and discard orange peel, onion, garlic, cinnamon stick, and bay leaves. Transfer pork, rendered fat, and cooking liquid to strainer. Let drain for 10 minutes. Transfer pork back to baking dish. You should end up with about 1/2 cup cooking liquid and 1/2 cup fat. Using a flat spoon or fat separator, skim fat from surface and add back to pork. Shred pork into large chunks with fingers or two forks. Season to taste with salt. Refrigerate until ready to serve. To serve: Preheat broiler to high with oven rack 4 inches below heating element. Broil pork until brown and crisp on surface, about 6 minutes. Remove pork, stir with a spoon to expose new bits to heat, and broil again until crisp, 6 more minutes. Tent with foil to keep warm. OR Crisp in batches on the stove
Notes/Tips
Check out the full recipe with Salsa Verde prep here: https://www.seriouseats.com/no-waste-tacos-de-carnitas-with-salsa-verde-recipe Carnitas can be prepared through step 3 up to three days in advance. Pork can be crisped up straight from the refrigerator.
Submitted by:
Ryan J.