Crispy Pork Carnitas
This carnitas recipe features fragrantly spiced cubed pork slow-roasted in lard until crispy on the outside and soft and succulent on the inside. Pile some on a warm tortilla, drizzle with braising liquid, and top with salsa, onion, and cilantro for the world's best taco.
boneless pork butt (shoulder)
3
pounds
garlic, peeled
8
cloves
olive oil
¼
cup
orange, juiced, orange parts of peel removed and sliced into thin strips
1
kosher salt
1
tablespoon
bay leaves, torn in half
2
ground black pepper
1
teaspoon
ground cumin
1
teaspoon
ground cinnamon
¾
teaspoon
Chinese 5-spice powder
½
teaspoon
 Gather all ingredients. Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C).
  Remove fat from pork; cut meat into 2-inch cubes and roughly chop fat.
  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.
  Transfer mixture to a 9x13-inch baking dish. Cover the dish tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil, then place on a baking sheet.
  Bake in the preheated oven until pork is fork tender, about 3 1/2 hours.
  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.
  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.
  Enjoy!
