c i r k a

Mexican Pulled Pork (Carnitas)

  • 3 1/2lb - 4lb pork shoulder roast(Boston Butt Pork Shoulder) - cut into 2“ chunks
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 onion - peeled and halved
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 2 Tbsp juice from 1 lime
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 med. orange - halved


  1. Combine pork, salt, pepper, cumin, onion, bay leaves, oregano, lime juice, and water in large Dutch oven. Juice orange, remove seeds, add juice and spent halves to pot. Bring to simmer on stove, add tight fitting lid and place on lower rack in 300 deg. oven. Cook until meat is soft and falls apart when prodded with fork, about 2 hours, flipping pieces of meat once during cooking.
  2. Remove pot from oven and remove pork to bowl. Remove and discard orange halve, onion and bay leaves. Place pot on stove over high heat and simmer liquid, stirring frequently, until thick and syrupy, about 8-12 min. There should be about 1 cup reduced liquid.
  3. Using 2 forks pull each piece of pork in half. Fold in reduced liquid, season with salt and pepper to taste. Spread pork in even layer on wire rack set inside rimmed baking sheet or on broiler pan. Place on lwr-mid rack and broil until top of meat is well browned (but not charred) and edges are slightly crisp, 5-8 min. Flip over and broil other side 5-8 min.
  4. Serve immediately with warm tortillas and garnishes.


Serves: 1/2 lb/person      Total cooking time: 3 hrs (stove-oven-broiler)
Source: Cook's Illustrated May 2008



recipe/mexicanpulledpork.txt · Last modified: 2014/02/24 21:50 by rob