Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Pork Carnitas Recipe
Tender pork with browned, crisp edges makes a generous filling to enjoy with the suggested Mexican accompaniments. Orange and lime give the braising juices a bright flavor around the rich meat. The overnight pause leads into a hot finish, ready for serving as soon as the top crisps.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 180 min
- Total
- 200 min
- Original yield
- Serves 8
- Ingredients
- 12 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Dinner
- Primary protein
- Pork
- Cuisine
- Mexican
- Cooking method
- Baking · Baked & roasted · Braising
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 16–30 minutes · Total: over 60 minutes
A few quick notes
1. Brown pork in batches
Season the trimmed pork cubes and brown them in batches before combining all the pieces with the braising ingredients.
2. Keep orange rinds
Add the quartered orange's rinds with its juice and other braising ingredients before bringing the covered oven stage together.
3. Skim before chilling
Remove meat to its dish and skim fat from the braising liquid before pouring that liquid over the pork for overnight chilling.
Get to know the ingredients
Pork butt or country ribs
Both boneless options are listed, trimmed and cut into two-inch cubes before seasoning and browning for the braise.
Quartered onion
Peel and quarter the onion before adding it with the other braising ingredients, keeping its pieces substantial during the long oven cook.
Chicken stock
The stock joins pork, citrus, herbs and seasoning in the pot before simmering and transferring under cover to the oven.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 8. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 4 steps completeMake room for Pork Carnitas Recipe
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Broil for crisp edges
After the chilled pork heats until its juices bubble, broil until well browned and slightly crisp, taste the seasoning and serve immediately.
A little more help as you go
A fork-tender braise
Cook the covered pork until it falls apart when prodded with a fork before beginning the degreasing and overnight chilling stage.
Leave room for the next day
After braising, cover and refrigerate overnight, then reheat and broil the next day before serving.
A few questions you might have
Can I freeze some pork after braising?
After the initial braise, portion the meat into a resealable freezer bag. Thaw in the refrigerator before the finishing stage.
What can I use to skim the liquid?
The directions allow a large spoon or fat separator to remove grease from the braising liquid before pouring it over meat.
Does the pork stay covered during reheating?
The next-day directions bake it uncovered until juices bubble, then switch to broil for the browned, slightly crisp top.
Where should the oven rack be?
Set it in the lower-middle position for the initial covered braise before the meat is transferred, chilled and finished the next day.
Should I discard the braising liquid completely?
Skim its fat, then keep the remaining liquid and pour it over the meat before covering the dish and refrigerating overnight.
Any more cooking tips?
Freeze It: This recipe makes a lot of servings. After the meat has gone through the initial braise, you can portion off some of it for the freezer. I freeze the meat in a resealable bag. When you're ready to use the meat, thaw it in the fridge and then proceed with the broiling step of the recipe. I think the calorie estimate here is too high, it doesn't take into account the grease removed from the braising liquid. I can't figure out exactly how to account for that. I figured you'd rather have a ballpark estimate on the nutritional stats rather than nothing at all.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: dinneratthezoo.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
