Crispy Pork Carnitas

This carnitas recipe is Chef John's method for slow-roasting pork in lard, citrus, garlic, and fragrant spices until tender inside and crisp outside.

• Preparation Time: 15 mins
• Cooking Time: 3 hr 40 mins
• Total Time: 3 hr 55 mins
• Calories: 317 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 8 cloves garlic, peeled
• 3 pounds boneless pork butt (shoulder)
• 1 orange, juiced, orange parts of peel removed and sliced into thin strips
• 2 bay leaves, torn in half
• 0.75 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 0.25 cup olive oil
• 0.5 teaspoon Chinese 5-spice powder

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Enjoy!

Step 2

Remove fat from pork; cut meat into 2-inch cubes and roughly chop fat.

Step 3

Bake in the preheated oven until pork is fork tender, about 3 1/2 hours.

Step 4

Cook under the preheated broiler for 3 minutes. Drizzle more accumulated juices over pork and continue broiling until crispy, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer pork to a serving plate and drizzle with remaining accumulated juices.

Step 5

Gather all ingredients. Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C).

Step 6

Mix together pork meat and fat with garlic, olive oil, orange peel, orange juice, salt, bay leaves, black pepper, cumin, cinnamon, and 5-spice powder in a large bowl until pork is coated completely.

Step 7

Transfer mixture to a 9x13-inch baking dish. Cover the dish tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil, then place on a baking sheet.

Step 8

Set an oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven's broiler. Remove garlic, orange peel, and bay leaves from the baking dish. Transfer pork to a colander set in a bowl. Pour accumulated juices from the baking dish over pork. Return pork to the baking dish and drizzle with some accumulated juices.