SAN DIEGO — I first discovered carnitas working at Consuelo's Restaurant in La Mesa. I was the dishwasher and got a meal to start my shift. There's nothing better than a carnitas burrito after a day of surfing when you're 16 years old!
Carnitas
- 3 - 4 lbs. Pork Shoulder
- 1 peeled Onion, cut into 8th
- 4 - 6 cloves of Garlic
- 2 Oranges, halved & juiced
- 2 Limes, halved & juiced
- 1 cup Water
Rub
- 2 tbsp Kosher Salt
- 1 tsp Black Pepper
- 1 ½ Cumin
- 1 ½ tsp Oregano flakes
- 1 tsp Red Pepper flakes
Preheat the oven to 325°. Combine the Rub ingredients and cover the meat side, leaving the fat cap unseasoned on the bottom of a cast iron pot.
Juice the lemons and lime into the pot, and surround the Ppork with onions, lemons, and limes. Finish with water, cover with lid, and place in the oven.
Check every hour to keep some liquid in the pot. After 3 1/2 hours use a fork to check if the meat pulls apart easily, if not cook for another half hour covered.
To crisp up the outside turn heat up to 450° for the last 15 minutes. Allow pork to rest for 15 minutes before you pull it apart to allow the juices to slow down and be absorbed. Serve with a garnish tray of sliced white onions, tomatoes, jalapenos, cilantro, avocado, warm flour and corn tortillas, and whatever else your heart desires.
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