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Original video by @BrianLagerstrom — all credit to the creator.

Brian Lagerstrom

Crispy Braised Pork Tacos (Carnitas-Style)

Cubes of pork shoulder are cured with garlic and oregano, slow-braised with orange and cinnamon until shreddable, then crisped in their own rendered fat until the edges go bacon-crisp. Piled onto warm tortillas with onion, cilantro, and salsa taquera, they're juicy inside and golden outside.

⏱ 240 minMexicantacosporkcarnitasbraiseddutch oven

Ingredients

For the Pork and Cure

  • 4-5 lbpork shoulder · about 1.8-2.3 kg; cut into 2-3 inch cubes, bone removed
  • 50 gsalt · 3 Tbsp
  • 2 gdried oregano · 2 tsp
  • 10 gonion powder · 1 1/2 Tbsp
  • 30 gminced garlic · 6-8 cloves

For the Braise

  • 100 gwater or stock · about 1/2 cup
  • 1cinnamon stick
  • 4bay leaves
  • 1orange · quartered and juiced into the pot

Finish and Serve

  • 150 grendered pork fat · about 2/3 cup, reserved from cooking
  • 150 gpork gold (cooking liquid) · about 2/3 cup, reserved from cooking
  • —flour tortillas · warmed
  • —white onion · chopped
  • —cilantro · chopped
  • —salsa taquera

Steps

  1. 1

    Cut a 4-5 lb pork shoulder into 2-3 inch cubes, removing the bone if necessary.

  2. 2

    Combine the cut pork with the salt, garlic, onion powder, and oregano, tossing to coat each piece. Cure in the fridge for 1 hour.

  3. 3

    Pack the pork snug in an even layer in a dutch oven (a 6.75 qt pot fits this amount; use slightly less meat if your pot is meaningfully smaller).

  4. 4

    Add the cinnamon stick, the quartered-and-juiced orange, the bay leaves, and the water or stock. Cover and roast at 250°F for 3 hours, flipping the pieces of pork over after 90 minutes.

  5. 5

    Check for doneness: the pork should be shreddable when you pull it apart with forks, but not falling apart.

  6. 6

    Rest covered at room temperature for 30-60 minutes, then refrigerate overnight.

  7. 7

    Once fully chilled, remove the pork from the pot and separate the rendered fat from the cooking liquid (pork gold). Shred the pork into a mix of medium chunks and finer strands, removing pure-fat bits.

  8. 8

    Mix about 150g rendered fat and 150g pork gold into the shredded pork until evenly coated.

  9. 9

    Crisp the pork in a nonstick pan over medium-high heat for about 90 seconds, pressing it flat to ensure pan contact. Flip and fry another 90 seconds, or until about 40% of the pork is golden and crispy. Splash in a little more pork gold at the end to keep it moist.

  10. 10

    Serve on warm flour tortillas with chopped onion, cilantro, and dried chile salsa.

Creator's notes

Pot size matters: the pork should pack snug in an even layer, so use slightly less meat if your dutch oven is meaningfully smaller than 6.75 qt. The overnight chill is what lets you cleanly separate the rendered fat from the cooking liquid ("pork gold") — both get mixed back into the shredded meat before crisping. Salsa taquera recipe: https://www.brianlagerstrom.com/recipes/salsa-taquera

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