Pork Shoulder Carnitas
Meltingly tender pork with crackling browned edges, bright with orange and warm with bay and cumin. Rich, savory, faintly citrusy.
large Dutch oven, sheet pan, slotted spoon
AI estimate — add a USDA key for measured values.
- 01
Season the pork chunks all over with the kosher salt and toss to coat evenly. Let sit while you prep everything else — ideally 20 minutes, out of the fridge.
dry brineSalt has dissolved and the surface looks slightly tacky.
- 02
Heat the lard in a large heavy Dutch oven over medium-high until it shimmers.
Fat shimmers and a bit of pork sizzles on contact.
- 03
Add the pork in a single layer, working in batches if needed, and brown on two sides.
fondDeep brown crust forms and the meat releases from the pot without sticking.
- 04
Add the onion, garlic, cumin, oregano, and bay leaves. Squeeze the orange juice over the pork, then drop the spent halves into the pot. Pour in the water.
Liquid comes about a third of the way up the meat.
- 05
Bring to a gentle simmer, then cover and transfer to a 300°F oven. Braise, turning the pork once at the halfway mark, until the meat shreds with light pressure from a fork.
braisePork falls apart with no resistance and the liquid has largely rendered into clear fat.
- 06
Set the oven to broil. Fish out the orange halves, onion, and bay leaves. With a slotted spoon, spread the pork on a sheet pan and shred slightly with two forks, then spoon a few tablespoons of the rendered fat over the top.
Pork is spread in an even layer, glossy with fat.
- 07
Broil close to the element until the edges crisp and darken, watching closely so it doesn't burn.
Tips are deep brown and crackling while the interior stays juicy.
- 08
Taste and correct with salt. Serve piled into warm tortillas with lime wedges.
Seasoning tastes bright and full, not flat.
Pork shoulder is dense with connective tissue that only dissolves into gelatin with long, gentle heat — braising at 300°F breaks it down while the shoulder's own fat renders out and confits the meat, keeping it moist as it cooks. The initial sear builds a browned fond for savory depth, while orange and bay perfume the fat as it renders. Finishing under the broiler recreates the crisp edges you'd get from a vat of bubbling lard, giving the contrast of crackling exterior against juicy interior that defines good carnitas.
- The pork should braise in mostly its own rendered fat, not swim in liquid — one cup of water is enough to get it started; the shoulder gives up the rest. If it looks dry early, add a splash more water, but resist drowning it.
- Don't skip browning. That fond is the backbone of the flavor and it dissolves into the braise.
- Broiling is where carnitas is won or lost. Keep the pan close to the element and pull it the moment the edges crisp — 30 seconds too long and the tips turn bitter.
- If the pork resists shredding at 2.5 hours, it isn't done — give it another 20–30 minutes. Collagen needs time, not higher heat.
Braise the pork up to 3 days ahead and refrigerate it in its fat. Broil just before serving so the edges are fresh and crisp.
Keeps 4 days refrigerated in its fat, or freezes 3 months. Reheat under the broiler or in a hot skillet to re-crisp — microwaving makes it soggy.