Easy Carnitas Recipe

I don't eat meat very often but when I do, carnitas is up there as one of my favorite things. I know there is an amazing traditional technique using a giant copper pot and lard. Nothing will beat the flavor of that. But I found this recipe to be quite easy and delicious. And it's a lot less greasy with just the right combination of flavors. It's my go-to recipe and I hope others enjoy it as well.

Ingredients

• 4-5 lbs pork shoulder 
• Rub
• 4 tsp kosher salt
• 4 tsp brown or raw sugar
• 2 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tbsp canola oil or other high heat cooking oil
• 1 medium onion cut into strips from pole to pole
• 2 bay leaves (medium size)
• 2 cloves garlic or 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1.5 cups water
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Directions

• Mix the dry rub ingredients in a bowl or jar and reserve 1 tsp to use later.
• With the remaining dry rub, season the pork shoulder on all sides liberally. Ideally let rest in the fridge in a large Ziploc bag for a few hours or even overnight.
• 7 hours before you want to serve, preheat an oven at 250 degrees and also heat a dutch oven or other oven-safe pot on the stove over medium heat with the oil.
• Brown the pork shoulder on all sides (2-3min/side). It's okay to develop brown and black spots on the bottom of the pan. That all adds flavor later. Just keep the pan from smoking and the meat from burning. You want a nice brown roasted color and smell. 
• Once brown on all sides (or as best you can), remove the meat and place on a tray or plate temporarily. Add onions to the pot and cook stirring frequently until the onions soften. You can add 1/4 cup of water if you'd like to start to loosen the bits on the bottom of the pan and make the onions sweat faster. Add the bay leaves and garlic towards the end and cook with the onions until aromatic. 
• Add water (ensure there is enough to come up ~1/2 inch from bottom of pan), apple cider vinegar, and the 1 tsp of reserve dry rub. Bring the liquid to a boil, then add the pork back into to the pot with the fat side pointing up, and transfer to the oven, covering with the pot lid or with foil. 
• About 6 hours and it should be tender with an internal temp of 195-200 degrees. If you are short on time, you can increase heat and cook for a shorter length of time. Try 275 degrees for 4.5 hours or 300 degrees for 3 hours. 
• Remove the pot from the oven and let rest ideally 30 minutes. Then as best you can, remove the meat from the pot and temporarily set on a clean tray or plate.
• Pour the liquid juice remaining in the pot through a strainer into a pyrex measuring pitcher or other heat safe vessel. This has all the flavor so it's key to reserve. 
• Add the pork back to the empty pot and shred the meat. Then pour in the reserve cooking liquid a bit at a time until the desired flavor of the pork is reached. I find 1-2 cups of the liquid is about right.
• Now you are ready to serve.

Tips

• Ideally you want the bone still in it but you can do this without the bone as well. Note that it will take longer to cook with the bone in.
• The warehouse stores like Costco often sell 8-10 lb pork shoulders with the bone in. I like to cut into two halves and freeze one half to cook another time. The bone often comes right to the midpoint of the shoulder with the fat side down so you can cleanly cut through just to the side of the bone to create one half with the bone and one half without.
• I like to cut away excess fat from the fat side. Often it's a bit too thick for my liking. But leave a nice thin layer still on there as that adds flavor and tenderness while the meat cooks.
• If you end up with a different size of meat than the 4-5 lbs, the rule of thumb for cooking is 1.5 hours per pound of meat at 250 degrees. So an 8 pound pork shoulder could take 12 hours to cook. 
• Note that covering the meat with the pot lid or foil makes it cook faster. These cooking times reflect that method of cooking.
• Use AI prompts to dial in the cooking recommendations for your size meat and when you want to serve. If you have 5 hours before you want to serve and you want it to rest for 30 minutes, try asking "What oven temperature should I cook a 4 lb pork shoulder at to reach the 195-200 degree temp in 4.5 hours if I preseared the meat and have it covered in a pot while it cooks?" [Answer is 300 degrees although for me, it finishes at this temp in only 3 hours]
• Technically, your meat is safe for consumption at 170 or higher but you won't get that delicatable shredding consistency until it reaches the 195-200 mark.
• My favorite utensil to use during this process is a sturdy pair of tongs. It allows me to manipulate the meat while searing, move the meat in and out of the pot, and even shred it at the end.