Carnitas de Domingo
Domingo en Familia – The Sunday Gatherings and Holiday Rituals
Tuesday at six p.m., a supermarket pork shoulder and a squeezed orange half sit on the cutting board, ready for a heavy Dutch oven to fake a Sunday afternoon. Real Michoacán carnitas aren't boiled in chicken broth—they are a glorious confit, preserving the slow, fat-submerged rendering that creates the texture when you bathe the pork in copious amounts of lard, spent orange peels, and a splash of Mexican Coca-Cola. Shred the meat, slide the pan under the broiler until the fat hisses, and eat the first taco standing up.
Before you start
Preheat the oven to 300°F.
Dissolve the coarse kosher salt into the warm water.
Set this saline solution aside until the mid-point of the braise.
Ingredients
- pork shoulder4 lb
- pork belly1 lb
- pork lard3 cup
- orange1 large
- white onion1 med
- garlic1 med head
- Mexican bay leaves4 med
- dried Mexican oregano1 tsp
- fresh thyme1 small bunch
- cinnamon stick1 med
- Mexican Coca-Cola1/2 cup
- evaporated milk1/4 cup
- coarse kosher salt1 1/2 tbsp
- warm water1/2 cup
Method
- 01
Melt the lard and gently sear the pork.
Set a large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium heat, melt the lard completely, and briefly sear the pork chunks for about 5 minutes just until they lose their raw pink color.
- 02
Submerge the aromatics and squeeze in the citrus.
Squeeze the orange halves over the meat and drop the spent peels directly into the fat, then bury the onion, garlic head, bay leaves, oregano, thyme, and cinnamon stick among the pork.
- 03
Add the caramelizing liquids.
Pour in the Coca-Cola and evaporated milk, gently stirring to combine so the liquid reaches about three-quarters of the way up the meat.
- 04
Braise low and slow in the oven.
Bring the pot to a gentle simmer on the stove, cover tightly with the lid, and transfer to the preheated oven to confit undisturbed for 1 1/2 hours.
- 05
Infuse the pork with the saline burst.
Remove the pot from the oven, uncover, and evenly pour the reserved saltwater solution over the meat; gently turn the pork and return the pot to the oven uncovered for another 45 minutes until the meat is meltingly tender.
- 06
Broil to mimic the traditional copper pot crisp.
Transfer the tender pork to a foil-lined baking sheet, gently tear into bite-sized chunks with two forks, ladle a quarter cup of the cooking fat over the top, and broil on high for 5 to 8 minutes until the edges are dark, caramelized, and dangerously crispy.
Notes
Serve strictly with traditional accompaniments.
Heat corn tortillas by dipping the edges in the reserved pork fat before warming on a comal, and garnish only with diced white onion, fresh cilantro, lime juice, and a bright salsa.
Store and reheat to maintain the crisp.
Leftovers lose their crunch in the fridge; revive them in a dry cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat with a splash of water, letting it evaporate to re-crisp the edges.
From Cook Mexican in America.