Carnitas

Carnitas

1/4 cup vegetable oil
4 pounds pork shoulder, cut into several large pieces
2-3 tbsp kosher salt
1 onion, coursely chopped (we like white or red)
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp ground cumin
3 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth (or cube equivelant, which is actually what we use)

Corn tortillas, warmed
Suggested toppings: crumbled queso fresco, diced avocado, lime juice, cilantro, diced onion

1. Heat the vegetable oil in a Dutch oven over high heat.  Season the pork shoulder with salt, then arrange it in the Dutch oven.  Cook until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes.  Add the onion, garlic, lime juice, chili powder, oregano and cumin.  Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and continue to simmer until the pork is very tender, about 2.5 hours.

2. Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.

3. Transfer the pork to a large baking sheet, reserving the cooking liquid.  Drizzle with a small amount of the reserved cooking liquid.

4. Bake the pork in the oven until browned, about 30 minutes.  Drizzle more of the cooking liquid on the meat every 10 minutes, and use two forks to shred the meat as it browns.

Notes: The recipe as is will serve 6-8 adults, possibly more if you have a bunch of side dishes.  These may seem like a lot of work, but they are worth it! 

Recipe Origination: From allrecipes.com with a few tweeks.