Best Carnitas Braised In Orange Juice Recipes

CARNITAS ~ MEXICAN BRAISED PORK

Carnitas ~ Mexican Braised Pork image

This old-school carnitas--pork shoulder simmered with onion, garlic, bay leaf, and orange until falling-apart tender and crispy--is excellent in burritos, tacos, or on its own. And it can be made in an Instant Pot or slow cooker.

Provided by Roberto Santibañez

Categories Mains

Time 2h

Number Of Ingredients 10

Ingredients

4 pounds fatty pork shoulder, cut into 2-inch pieces
3 cups cold water
1 medium white onion, thinly sliced
1/2 orange, preferably seedless, cut into 2 wedges ((or 1 to 2 oranges if using the Instant Pot Variation))
1/4 cup lard, (or, for the lard averse, vegetable oil)
8 garlic cloves, peeled
3 bay leaves
1 tablespoon sweetened condensed milk
2 teaspoons dried oregano, preferably Mexican, crumbled
1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons fine salt, or 3 to 4 teaspoons kosher salt

Steps:

Place all of the ingredients in a wide 6- to 7-quart heavy pot. (Don't worry if everything isn't completely submerged.) Bring to a boil, skimming any scum that collects on the surface as necessary.
Reduce the heat to medium-lowish and simmer vigorously, stirring occasionally, until the pork is fork-tender and the liquid has completely evaporated, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Discard the orange pieces and bay leaves.☞TESTER TIP: If the liquid hasn't completely evaporated, transfer the pork to a bowl and continue to simmer the liquid, stirring often, until it is reduced and only a glossy layer of oil remains.
Preheat the oven to 450°F (232°C)
If your pot isn't ovenproof, transfer the pork and fat to a dish of some sort that's ovenproof. Slide the pork into the oven, uncovered, and let it fry in its own fat until it's browned, 20 to 30 minutes. There's no need to stir. Serve it straight from the pot. (Leftovers-as if!-keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.)

Nutrition Facts : ServingSize 1 portion, Calories 291 kcal, Carbohydrate 6 g, Protein 28 g, Fat 17 g, SaturatedFat 5 g, TransFat 1 g, Cholesterol 94 mg, Sodium 550 mg, Fiber 1 g, Sugar 3 g, UnsaturatedFat 11 g

ORANGE AND MILK-BRAISED PORK CARNITAS

Orange and Milk-Braised Pork Carnitas image

It must have been the subliminal beer and liquor advertising that got me, because I wasn't even thinking about Cinco de Mayo when I decided to make this milk-braised pork carnitas recipe. The milk braising beforehand seems to give the meat a little extra succulence. The subtle sweetness from the orange is also very nice.

Provided by Chef John

Categories World Cuisine Recipes Latin American Mexican

Time 2h40m

Yield 8

Number Of Ingredients 10

Ingredients

3 ½ pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into large pieces
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon kosher salt, or more to taste
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 orange, juiced and zested
2 cups whole milk

Steps:

Season pork with pepper and salt.
Heat oil in large pot over high heat. Working in batches, cook pork in the hot oil until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Return all cooked pork and accumulated juice to pot.
Season pork with bay leaves, cumin, dried oregano, and cayenne pepper. Stir in fresh orange juice, orange zest, and milk. Bring mixture to a boil over high heat; reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until meat is fork tender but not falling apart, about 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
Remove pork from liquid. Skim some fat from the pot to grease a baking dish. Transfer the pieces of pork to the baking dish. Drizzle about 2 more tablespoons of the floating fat over the meat. Season with more salt, if needed.
Bake in preheated oven until pork is browned, about 15 minutes. Stir pork.
Turn on oven's broiler. Cook pork under broiler until crisp, 2 to 3 minutes.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 324.9 calories, Carbohydrate 3.7 g, Cholesterol 84.2 mg, Fat 24.1 g, Fiber 0.4 g, Protein 22.4 g, SaturatedFat 8.5 g, Sodium 804.7 mg, Sugar 2.8 g

CARNITAS BRAISED IN ORANGE JUICE

CARNITAS BRAISED IN ORANGE JUICE image

Categories Pork Dinner

Number Of Ingredients 9

Ingredients

1 bone-in pork blade shoulder(5 pounds)
3 medium yellow onions, coarsly chopped
1 head garlic, cloves separated and crushed
2 cups orange juice with pulp
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon golden brown sugar
⅛ teaspoon salt
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Steps:

Adjust oven rack to low position; heat oven to 250 degrees. Pat roast dry with paper towels, then sprinkle evenly with salt and pepper. Heat oil in dutch oven until smoking. Add pork and cook until well browned on all sides, 4 to 6 minutes per side. Transfer roast to plate. Add onions, brown sugar and salt to pan and sauté on high until soft and golden. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant and browned in spots, about 4 minutes more. Add orange juice, chicken broth and bay leaves and bring mixture to a simmer. Return roast to pan, checking that liquid reaches half way up the sides of the meat. Roast uncovered for 3 or more hours, turning the roast with tongs every 60 to 90 minutes. Pour off 2 cups of liquid into fat separator and let rest. Drain off fat and reserve. Return pan to oven and increase heat to 300 degrees for two hours, turning roast after the first hour, until fall-apart tender and well carmelized. Transfer roast to plate, remove bone and tent with foil. Pour off and separate oil from remaining liquid. Return liquid and reserve to pot and simmer until slightly thickened, about 4 minutes. Shred meat with a fork and combine with sauce.

CARNITAS

Carnitas image

Carnitas (or "little meats") are a traditional Mexican dish of cubed pork shoulder braised with spices and citrus until tender. Fresh orange, crushed garlic, earthy oregano and aromatic cinnamon and bay leaf create a rich and fragrant braising liquid that imparts its savory flavors into the pork as it cooks. There's very little hands-on work involved, and the carnitas can be made a day ahead. Store the pork in the liquid overnight, then gently reheat before serving. A final finish under the broiler creates a golden, crispy exterior on the meat.

Provided by Kay Chun

Categories dinner, meat, tacos, main course

Time 3h

Yield 4 to 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 11

Ingredients

3 pounds pork shoulder, cut into 2-inch chunks
1 tablespoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal), plus more for seasoning
1 teaspoon black pepper, plus more for seasoning
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 navel orange, quartered
1 white onion, quartered
7 garlic cloves, crushed
1 cinnamon stick, broken into 2 pieces
1 bay leaf (dried or fresh)
1/4 cup neutral oil, such as safflower or canola
Warmed tortillas, chopped white onion, chopped cilantro, sliced avocado and lime wedges, for serving

Steps:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large Dutch oven, combine pork, 1 tablespoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper and the oregano, and toss to evenly coat the meat in the spices. Squeeze orange juice all over the pork and add the juiced orange quarters to the pot. Add onion, garlic, cinnamon stick and bay leaf, and toss until well incorporated, nestling everything in an even layer. Drizzle oil evenly over the meat. Cover and braise in oven until pork is tender, about 2 1/2 hours, stirring once halfway through the cooking.
Heat broiler to high, setting a rack 6 inches from the heat source. Transfer pork to a rimmed baking sheet and shred the meat. Strain juices from the pot through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl, pressing on the solids; discard solids. Skim fat from top and reserve the juices.
Broil pork until golden and crisp in spots, about 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer carnitas to serving plates and drizzle with some of the reserved juices. Serve warm with tortillas and toppings of choice.