Carnitas Diana Style Recipes

CARNITAS RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325°F. Pat the pork butt dry with a paper towel. Use a large, sharp knife to trim away excess fat. Cut the pork butt into 1" thick slices. Then, cut each slice into 1" cubes.
• Transfer the pork to a 4-5 quart enameled cast iron Dutch oven. Add all of the dry spices, and massage them onto the pork with your hands.
• Add the orange juice, lime juice, and a 1/2 cup water to the Dutch oven and stir to combine. Add the bay leaves, cover, and transfer to the oven.
• Cook for 2 hours. Remove from the oven, and turn on the broiler on high. Have ready a rimmed sheet pan lined with nonstick aluminum foil.
• Use a slotted spoon to transfer the pork to the prepared sheet pan. Using the tines of a fork, gently press down on the pork to ever-so-slightly break it apart.
• Place the pork under the broiler, and watch closely so that it does not burn. As soon as the pork begins to tinge with dark brown hues and crisps up on the edges, remove it from the oven. Depending on your broiler, this could take anywhere from 1- 4 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
• Place the Dutch oven on the stovetop over medium-high heat and allow to come to a simmer. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of water. Add the cornstarch slurry to the cooking liquid and allow to simmer until thickened, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat.
• Either add the pork back to the Dutch oven and stir or brush the sauce lightly over the carnitas. Serve with tortillas and your favorite taco toppings and enjoy!

PORK CARNITAS RECIPE

Steps:

• Cut the pork into strips approximately 2 inches by 3/4 inches in size (do not trim any of the fat off).
• Place the pork strips in a high-sided skillet, and add just enough cold water to barely cover the pork.
• Add the salt, then bring the liquid to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to bring the water back down to a simmer (medium low heat), and simmer until the water has evaporated, approximately 90 minutes.
• Reduce the heat more, somewhere between low and medium low, and keep cooking the pork for about another 30 minutes, turning the meat every 10 minutes or so, until the fat has rendered out, and the pork is browned all over.
• Serve and enjoy!

CARNITAS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.
• Put the poblano and onion slices in the bottom of a heavy pot. Mix the cayenne, cumin and a pinch of salt and pepper together in a bowl, then use the mixture to season the pork shoulder. Put the pork on top of the vegetables. Add the chicken broth, jalapeno slices, lime zest and juice and orange zest and juice. Cover and cook until tender, 4 to 5 hours.
• Turn the heat up to 450 degrees F, remove the lid and cook until the surface crisps slightly, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the pork to a board and let it rest until cool enough to handle, then remove the fat and shred the meat with 2 forks.
• Strain the vegetables from the sauce and set aside. Put the meat in serving dish, add the vegetables and pour over some of the sauce.
• Serve the shredded pork with warm corn tortillas, radishes, pickled jalapenos, pico de gallo, hot sauce, lime wedges and cilantro leaves.

CARNITAS-DIANA STYLE

Steps:

• Place pork in crock pot.
• Add everything else.
• Cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 8.
• You want the pork fork tender so you can pull it apart using 2 forks.
• When done place a large mixing bowl on the counter and center a collander.
• Strain the juice from the pork mixture and reserve.
• Return meat mixture to the crock pot and pull the pork apart, leaving small chunks.
• Keep crock pot on warm.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Place pulled pork in a baking pan-single layer.
• Add enough reserved juice to moisten.
• Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the meat just starts to brown.
• Remove.
• Serve with hot corn tortillas (I fry mine keeping them soft), sour cream, guac, cheese -- whatever lights your candle.
• This recipe serves 4 for a meal, 6 for a snack.