This easy carnitas recipe is the tastiest. Once cooked, the meat can be shredded and mixed with BBQ sauce for incredible pulled pork sandwiches or pan-fried in a little oil until crisp outside.
I need to clarify a few things. First, carnitas are heavily seasoned but not flavored. Seasoning is basically salt but flavors mainly come from condiments. I changed out the lard for water lowering the fat content and added orange based on flavors I found in restaarants in Mexico. American tastes have added a tremendous amount of flavor enhancers(spices, chilies, etc. to the dish). You can make this into whatever you want. I prefer it crisped up in a little oil after it's shredded into chunks( and a little extra kosher salt sprinkled over it. If you want more spice add this at this time.
Read More I need to clarify a few things. First, carnitas are heavily seasoned but not flavored. Seasoning is basically salt but flavors mainly come from condiments. I changed out the lard for water lowering the fat content and added orange based on flavors I found in restaarants in Mexico. American tastes have added a tremendous amount of flavor enhancers(spices, chilies, etc. to the dish). You can make this into whatever you want. I prefer it crisped up in a little oil after it's shredded into chunks( and a little extra kosher salt sprinkled over it. If you want more spice add this at this time.
Fantastic! My roast was frozen solid, so I threw it in the slow cooker whole, along with everything else. Cooked it on low for 9 hours and the result was amazing. Loved the subtle orange flavor and the bay leaf added a really great earthy tone to the meat. I shredded and then served the meat in flour tortillas with lettuce, tomato, cilantro, and a bit of plain yogurt. Will make again! Thank you!
Ken, this is a winner, a five star! I bought that huge package from Costco that contains about 15 lbs of boneless pork shoulder. That meat is a pain in the neck to cook with because of all the fat, but it's the fat that makes it tasty, too, so I endure the misery of cutting it off. I actually cooked this according to directions in my Magnalite roaster on stovetop, and it took two batches to get the job done. For the first batch I used all the salt, and then the second batch I used half that amount. For my family, it will probably rest in between the two amounts. Otherwise, the ingredients are just perfect because one flavor doesn't outdo another, and the resulting meat is very yummy. I made a double batch of Mexican Rice II from this site to go with it, and I used the broth from the meat for half of the recipe. Next time I will use the broth for ALL of it because it makes a spectacular replacement for the chicken broth, adding a depth of flavor to the rice that can't be duplicated. Now I am glad that I saved the broth for my freezer for future uses. What a perfect recipe! Thank you!
Unbelievable! I can hardly shred the meat without eating at least half of it! My only changes are to use limes instead of oranges (only because hubby doesn't like them) and I also throw it all in the crock pot like others have done. When I serve it, to give it the same "texture" as my favorite mexican restaurant, (without the added calories) I put meat on a sheet pan and throw in a very hot oven for just a few minutes. Gives it the crispy edges that I love. Wonderful recipe Ken- Thanks!!!
Wow this was awesome! My whole family loved it and it smelled wonderful while simmering! I had went online to browse lots of different ways of making this; some people simmered in lard, some peanut oil and I didn't like either of those methods so I used this recipe and was not dissapointed. I did take advice I found for adding a can of cola to the water; or you could add a can of beer. After two hours I took off the lid, took out oranges and bay leaves then turned up the heat and let the liquid cook down; it took about 15 minutes and then I let the meat brown in it's own fat... Delicious! Thanks for the awesome recipe Ken!:) Tip: wait until you've skimmed fat off top before adding all the spices... they tend to float too.
OUTSTANDING!! Did add a 1/2 bottle Bass Pale Ale beer and Chicken Stock plus little water, enough to cover pork. Also used a red onion instead of white and placed it all in a slow cooker for 3 hours. Came out sooo tender and very favorful. Served with white corn tortiillas, avacado, cilantro, sour cream, chopped roma tomatoes and homemade spanish rice. Yum!! My husband ate till it hurt, now that's says alot. Thanks so much Ken!
oh - my - merciful - heavens. Here's what happened. I got a deal on a bone - in shoulder. Over twelve lbs. I really do not like to fool with great big pieces of meat. Trust me, it was worth it. It's probably 30 mins away from removing from the oven. My daughter and I couldn't resist (I mean, the SMELL is amazing) So when I went to turn it, we picked off some done parts and threw them in the skillet with onions and peppers. We ate this on homemade tortillas with cheese. (I'm stuffed) It will have taken it 6 hrs. and 15 minutes at 325. I cut the yucky stuff off. Cut the oranges, onion and 1 lime in the bottom of my roasting pan ( I would have thrown the bay leaves in here, but I didn't have any.) I made a rub of the kosher salt (and yes, there is a huge difference. It will be too salty with table salt), cumin, garlic and peppercorns. I turned it a couple of hours after sticking it in. Before it all fell apart, I got the fruit and most of the onion and pepper corns out of the broth and added another cup of water. It wasn't quite totally off the bone last time I checked, but it had been shredded into the flavorful broth and I'm looking forward to enjoying this for quite awhile. Thanks, Ken. AWESOME recipe.
This was on my menu for new recipe night and is now going into my favorites! The only thing I did different was, after I shredded the meat I placed in a skillet with a bit of oil to "crisp" up some of the meat. I then added some of the broth back to the meat to keep it moist. Served with Mexican Rice II and fresh guac. This is a keeper!
LOVED it!!! I used pork sirloin because that was what I had. Threw everything into the crock pot on low for 9 hours. Shredded beautifully. This is going to be a regular supper here!
This was delicous. I've never had carnitas before so was unsure what to expect. After tasting it, my husband said, "Ok. Fajitas with pork," and he continued with a third serving. Served with "Homemade Flour Tortillas," "Best Spanish Rice," Salsa II, and "Easy Guacamole." I can't wait to use the leftovers for BBQ pork sandwiches.
I live in South Florida, home to some amazing Mexican/Cuban restaurants and Carnitas is one of my favorite. This is a great recipe that a made as written a couple times and have since finish tweaking (after a couple years of trying) to match what we get down here and it's pretty close. 1. I juice the oranges as I found cooking with the rind adds a bit of a bitter taste. 2. Added 2 seeded and halved jalapenos (this does not make it spicy because the seeds are removed, just adds flavor). 3. Added a bunch of cilantro (I wrap/tie the cilantro, peppercorns, garlic and bay leaves in cheese cloth. this makes the skimming easier and the peppercorns wont get stuck in the meat chunks, which happened for me). 4. Added a 10 oz bottle of Sour Orange (Badia or similar, usually found in ethnic section of food market). 5. Finally our Carnitas are served crispy. I break into smaller chunks (instead of shredding) and fry in a little canola oil in a cast iron skillet on high heat so the outsides get crispy. Serve with warm tortillas and crumbled Quesa Fresco (white Mexican) cheese. One more TIP.... IMPORTANT TO COOL AND STORE IN THE LIQUID UNTIL YOU USE (I make the day before and refrigerate over night. This keeps the meat moist. I ALWAYS make extra, freeze the meat IN THE JUICE and it stays moist and delicious! :-)
Allright, I tried it! Even took a picture while it was cooking. Did stovetop, couldn't wait. I thought the oranges would overwhelm this, but it doesn't. Good base for making shredded pork for many, many things! Used to make bbq sandwiches, pretty tasty!
Excellent recipe as is! Sauteed the meat with some onions & green peppers and served with Spanish Rice, using the pork broth in the rice. The other half is shredded up, sauteed with onions, peppers & mushrooms and added chipotle tabasco sauce and used that as a filling for enchiladas. This is a tender, flavorful meat that can be seasoned as you please in any dish.
They were amazing! I did substitute a lemon for one of the oranges and I didn't have whole peppercorns so I used ground ones, but the result was still outstanding! I put the shredded pork under the broiler for a few minutes, which gets them nice and crispy and makes them taste like authentic carnitas (I'm originally from Mexico). I serve them on corn tortillas with chopped fresh onion and cilantro, plus a splash of lime juice.
Very Good, made twice, and I liked it better in the slow cooker!! Plus dont trim the fat, because it gives it such an awesome authentic flavor that is carnitas signature trait. I also seared the roast on all sides before putting in the slow cooker for more flavor...I only used half the orange, squeezed the juice, and left the peels in there. I didnt put it in there in chunks either, I just let it cook on low for about 10hrs and shredded it, removed the large pieces of orange, and onion, and returned to the juices before serving.....Very good.thx!
Allright, I tried it! Even took a picture while it was cooking. Did stovetop, couldn't wait. I thought the oranges would overwhelm this, but it doesn't. Good base for making shredded pork for many, many things! Used to make bbq sandwiches, pretty tasty!
Excellent. Juiced 1 orange first but kept the skins in the pot for flavor, added 2 Tbs of lime juice, 1 Tbs oregano, some red pepper flakes, and freshly cracked peppercorns. Only used 2 cups of water. Made it with a dutch oven; first simmer on stove top and then into a 375 F oven for 2 hrs. Remove the meat and under grill to brown and crisp. The strained broth is worth keeping; great flavor.
This is a great recipe. Simple and tasty! The first time I made it I followed the recipe exactly and we all loved it but it was a bit salty. I have found that in a four quart dutch oven with a 3 1/2 to 4 lb. pork roast, cut into 2 inch chunks, that 1/4 cup of kosher salt tastes best with 5 cups of water. With one orange and 1/4 cup lime juice and the rest of the ingredients as written this amount of liquid just covers everything with about an inch to spare to the rim of the dutch oven. Thank you Ken for sharing this recipe with us!
Wow. I cant believe I waited so long to try this! It is amazing. I served this with a homemade salsa verde. The broth was so yummy that I strained it and will probably use it to make rice or for a tortilla soup. I will be making this often. I just wish I had made more! Thanks Ken!!
Ken, this recipe is a definite winner! It came out so moist, tender, and flavorful. I served it up with cilantro, chopped onion, and homemade salsa and didn't even bother "wasting" the space in my stomach on tortillias. Why would I when there was such great tasting meat to be had? Anyone that has been wanting to make this but hasn't gotten around to doing so..make the time to do it. I guarantee you will not be disappointed. Thank you for the great recipe Ken!****update 10/30/10*****made this again but this time in the crockpot due to circumstances. As written was better but crockpot works good too. Leftovers were just as moist and flavorful.
Excellent! I also put everything in the crockpot; no time! When I got home the house smelled wonderful, and it was delicious! The best part; very healthy, guilt free! Thanks Ken.
Simple and simply delicious! I wanted to make this for Halloween and knew it would be a busy day so I made it in a crockpot. I left the roast whole and browned it first on all sides. Then threw it all in the crockpot with some chicken stock. On high for six hours and .... perfection. Other than browning it first and using half the salt, especially with the additional saltiness from the stock, I followed the recipe as written. Even my picky stepdaughter raved about it. Can't wait to add some Sweet Baby Ray's barbeque sauce and try it on a "French Bread Rolls to Die For" from this site. A new favorite for sure. Thanks Ken, you are a genious!
WOW, this was great. Did it stove top. The meat came out moist and flavorful. I cooked 11 lbs of meat, enough for the tamales we are going to be making and several other meals. Thanks for a great recipe Ken.
Awesome recipe. Very easy to make, and very flavorful. Served them with pico de gallo and corn tortillas. Even my sorta picky 6- and 4-year-old daughters inhaled this. Superb.
Thank you Ken! I made this last night as the first thing for me to ever cook in my pressure cooker. Had I reviewed it last night, I may have given it 4 stars, but I had leftovers for lunch today, then a snack, and again now for supper and the flavors have all really developed. Fantastic! The only change I made was to reduce the salt because I was only using 1 1/2 lb of pork, but kept everything else the same. Now I have a bunch of great broth to use another day. Thanks to the pc, it only took 40 minutes, minus cool down time. Thank you for sharing Ken!
OMGosh~This is absolutely as good as everyone has said. Even if you don't care for orange flavor, this is so mild it just is in the background! Thanks for an easy, peasy recipe, Ken!
I juiced my oranges and threw in the peels. I also added 1/2 cup lime juice and some chili powder. I brought covered the rest with water and brought to a boil and cooked uncovered for 2 hours on low. Then brought up to medium and let the meat fry in its own fat. There will be some water left but it will dissolve give it about 30 to 45 min. You might have to take out some liquid like i did but reserve it in case you need to add it back. It was so good!
I was craving carnitas and didn't want to fight the cliche crowds, on Cinco de Mayo. This was AMAZING!!! I saved the broth, thickened it with a tablespoon of corn starch, brought it to a boil, and spooned a bit over the meat....after i shredded it, and placed it under the broiler for about 5 mins, to crisp the edges. I have to say, this may be WAY better than what I remember having in the restaurants...and I live in Northern California, so Mexican food is pretty accessible here. I followed the recipe exactly (but added one extra orange, because mine were small), my pork shoulder was approx 3.15lbs, and there were only 2 of us...we have enough for approx 1.5 more dinners for the 2 of us. My husband had 3 small soft tortillas as tacos and I just had meat. Maybe it shrinks....maybe we eat a lot. But it was AMAZING!! Thank you so much for sharing!! :) Feliz Cinco de Mayo!!
i was skeptical about the oranges, but went with it. glad i did! i didn't cut up my roast, and halved the kosher salt and just put it in the crock pot all day. my family really enjoyed this for taco meat. i wasn't crazy about the orange flavor when turning the leftovers into bbq sandwiches, but my hubby thought it was great and the kiddos ate it up, so all in all great recipe. it's a keeper!
So good! So easy! And as a bonus...economical. I threw the whole shoulder in the crock pot & shredded later. Note to self: next time only get 4-5 lbs.--8 lbs was way too big.
This was awesome! The only things that I changed were that I used 1 orange, and 1 lime in the water rather than 2 oranges. I think the lime adds a nice tart flavor, it was AWESOME! Thankfully we have leftovers to eat for dinner tomorrow, because this was GREAT! After shredding, I squirted with lime juice and added a little additional cumin, to add some citrus flavor and make it a little browner in color, cause it looked kinda pale when it came out of the water... Great job, Ken - This was amazing!!
This was just ok for me (lol I sound like Randy on American Idol!) The BF liked it, but I think my oranges were too big (I used two like the recipe calls for, but they were pretty big, I probably should have just used one), I think I would have liked a less citrus flavor and more cumin. HOWEVER, my hunk of meat was pretty lean, and it seemed to dry out some, so that may have also been part of why I wasn't thrilled with them. Will try them again though. Thanks Ken!
Ok, I did change this recipe by adding ingredients I had on hand. I'm rating it anyway because what absolutely made my carnitas was the oranges. That beatiful underlying citrus flavor was just amazing. Thanks, Ken!!
My husband said these were the best carnitas he has ever had! Delish! I put them in the crockpot on low for 8 hours and it came out perfectly!
I have to tell you I have been wanting to make this for some time with the reviews everyone was giving this, but for some reason it scared me to make it. Now after the finished product...I don't know why I was scared at all. It didn't smell that pleasing to me in the beginning. But it was totally out of this world good with flavor and tenderness. My commissary didn't have trimmed pork shouled..it was either bone in or out...So I choose out. And it had a lot of fat on it...I left it the way it was, and the only thing I did different just because of a time issue, was I put it all in the crockpot and let it cook all day. And it turned out great, then I had to removed all the fat....that part wasn't cool but it was totally delicious and I discarded everything but the meat...I will make this again because the meat was melt in your mouth gooood!!! Thanks KEN!!
This was so good! My husband loved this recipe! I put everything in a crock pot for 8 hours on low and the meat came out so tender. I have a feeling my husband will be asking for this again really soon.
I didn't like this very much. It was too salty and I didn't like eating the peppercorns. They were like little nasty landmines in my food.
Wow! This was outstanding. I started with frozen pork loin, threw in a crock pot with all the ingredients sans peppercorn (don't like pepper) but added a T of oregano. I squeezed the juice out of one orange and threw the other in the pot cut up as directed. After 8 hours on low, it was cooked perfectly. I removed and shred up the pork and then placed it into a skillet with a little hot oil and turned it occasionally to crisp up a fair amount of it. Topped it with some of the juice from the crock pot and voila! So good, you'll amaze yourself! The crispy parts were the best so be sure to leave it in the skillet a decent length of time. We served with flour tortillas and typical taco toppings but the pork is so good, I could've eaten it straight out of the skillet with my fingers and might've gobbled it all but my husband and teen son were begging to share. ;-)
This was very good and easy in the crock pot.i squeezed the oranges onto meat. little 2 much for me. next time will just place in crock pot-user error on my part
These carnitas are great. After shredding, I like to fry in oil with sliced jalapenos. We serve in corn tortillas with chopped onion, cilantro and avocado. Refried Beans Without the Refry is a great side dish for these carnitas!
Ken, you are an absolute genius when it comes to pork recipes! This is fantastic!! I used my crockpot and I used one huge orange and one lime like some of the reviews said. I crisped up the meat with olive oil in a skillet and topped with a homemade Colorado sauce. 'Nuff said...this recipe is a keeper!
Great flavor, just go easy on the salt. I used about 75% of what the recipe said and it was just beyond my comfort zone. Everything else was really good. I, too, was impressed with the oranges. I wouldn't have thought to add those but they really worked.
Excellent! Never will I put seasoned beef on my tacos! This was so complex and tasty!!!
DH loved this and rates it a high 5. I liked it, would have rated it a 4 myself. Slight changes-I halved the recipe, made it in a 2-quart crockpot, using cubed frozen pork, no water, used 2 garlic cloves instead of 3 (personal taste). Cooked it on "high" for 2 hours, then on "low" for one. Shredded the pork and returned it to the juice that formed in the crockpot for another hour. We don't eat much pork, but DH is already requesting I make this again. Thanks for the recipe, Ken. 8/29 Used the leftover pork & rice to make pork enchiladas-the taste is even better the second day, and I have a new "taste" for work. Thanks again!
So simple! Made it for a "taco bar" night with the family and had never made it before...everyone raved over it! I personally would have liked a little more "mexican" flavor to it, but I guess that's what all the fixin's are for anyway!
Instead of using water to braise the meat, I used about 3 cups of freshly squeezed orange juice. I used way less salt and cumin than it called for. Cut it back to about 2 tsp. of salt and 1 tsp. of cumin. I also omitted the whole black peppercorns and just used freshly ground black pepper to taste.
This recipe is amazing! I seared to pork first and thhrew everything in the crock pot on low for 9 hours. The orange flavor makes it soo great. My kids even liked it and when my husband came home he wanted to know what smelled soo wonderful. I will be making this often.
Excellent! I doubled this recipe and made it in my gigantic stock pot. The only thing I would recommend to salt lightweights (like me) is to add 1/2 at the beginning and then any additional salt to taste at the end. The broth is fantastic! I strained mine through a coffee filter and froze it to used instead of chicken broth for pork chili. Great recipe, thanks!
Another home run for Ken! Dee-licious. I had a 2 lb pork butt (which Ken kindly informed me was the same as shoulder) and threw in the bone as well when cooking. I halved the salt because I had less meat but kept everything else the same. Served with Tomatillo Guacamole (from this site) and took Ken's recommendation of frying it in a bit of oil. Man was it delicious. I made plans to make BBQ buns with the leftovers but we loved it so much in tacos we might just do that again! THANKS KEN!
Yummy! We really enjoyed this. Super easy to make, I threw it all in the crock pot. Loved the light citrus flavor in the meat. I served it with Mexican rice and tortillas. My boys gave it 2 thumbs up! Always a good thing :) Thanks for the recipe!
This was really easy and delicious! I would probably use less salt next time, however. It makes a lot...great for burritos as well.
Ken you have really outdone yourself with this. The recipe was absolutely delicious! We're having them again tonight!! Thanks so much for your creativity and sharing this delightful recipe! You rock!!
This was delicious! I had a pork loin roast to use and decided to try this. The orange gave it a nice flavor. I shredded it and used it for enchiladas and hubby said they were the best enchiladas I've ever made. I think the key is to cool the pork in the liquid so it really absorbs the flavors. Next time I'm going to try it with the pork shoulder, I'm sure it will be even better!
The orange gave it great flavor. Nice contrast with a spicy tomatillo sauce rolled in a tortilla.
Holy Guacamole! This is some fine stuff! Just kicking myself that I waited so long to make it! Only change was to cook it in my slow cooker - recipe exactly as written. Smelled fabulous and tasted even better! Made Mexican Rice II (Using broth from this) and Refried Beans w/out the Refry. Had it for breakfast, lunch and dinner over the last couple of days! And told DH I'd be content to eat it every meal from here on out!YUMMY!!! Thanks, Ken!
I followed the recipe exactly as stated, well I used a slow cooker because I don't have a dutch oven and they turned out great. I also followed Ken's review and fried them in a little bit of lard ( you said oil, but we like lard) and they were just as good as the ones I buy at the store. Thanks for the great recipe, we will be making this agian =)
This was good, but probably not something that will become a regular meal in our house. I think most of the little things here and there I didn't particularly care for were due to the cut of meat rather than anything to do with the recipe or the method. I know fat is what makes meat flavourful and tender but I don't much like really fatty cuts. And it was darker in colour than I usually like pork to be. But it had nice flavour, smelled amazing while cooking, and was nice and tender. And my picky brother ate it all up (with sweet baby ray's) and said it was awesome, so you know you've got a good dish if he gobbles it up. I'd make it again, but probably with a different cut of pork and with cutting back a tad on the peppercorns, the peppery flavour came through a bit too strong for me. But pretty good! I see how this gets rave reviews: easy, cheap and good.
Excellent! I made this in a crockpot using 1 small onion and one orange (only because I have a small crockpot and couldn't really fit more than that), and reduced the salt by about half. I probably added about 2 cups of water - not enough to cover, since I was cooking this in the crockpot. The pork was so tender and delicious - exactly like Ken's review where it's seasoned, but not strongly flavored. In fact, I used about a third of the pork to make sweet and sour pork tonight, and there was no conflict of flavors at all.
I really enjoyed this recipe. For people like me who aren't salt lovers- you may want to cut the salt a little. Overall, excellent recipe.
Love it. I followed the recipe as it is and my pork turned out very tender and tasty! My husband and my kids love this recipe. I am saving it in my Recipe Box.
Grabbed the paprika instead of the cumin - I think I invented Hungarian carnitas; HOWEVER, the flavor rocked and can't wait to try them with the correct spices! Old and befuddled, for sure!
These.Were.Awesome! The flavor was out of this world amazing and the whole family raved about them having multiple servings each! I didn't change a single thing with the original recipe (ingredients wise) although I only had half the meat the recipe called for so I simply halved the recipe to fit the amount I had. I also just threw everything into the crockpot minus the water because my pork was frozen. Cooked on low for 8 hours. Shredded it and served in a whole wheat tortilla with lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, sour cream, and salsa verde. They were delicious! Thanks Ken for the delicious new recipe. We will definitely be making this again...very often!
Love it! I have made this 5+ times. I use half the salt and it is still delicious. I use the leftover broth to make Mexican Rice II.
UPDATE: MADE THIS AGAIN TODAY, BUT THIS TIME I FOLLOWED KEN'S DIRECTIONS TO THE LETTER! YOU MUST TRY THIS ON THE STOVETOP!!! ALTHOUGH SLOW COOKING IS CONVENIENT, IT WON'T YIELD THE SAME RESULT. TO ACHIEVE THE CRISPY CARNITAS TEXTURE, I COVERED A LARGE COOKIE SHEET WITH MY MEAT, LIGHTLY SALTED IT (AGAIN) AND PLACED UNDER THE BROILER FOR SEVERAL MINUTES - PERFECTION! :) SHREDDED CABBAGE, PICO DE GALLO AND A SQUEEZE OF FRESH LIME WERE SIMPLE YET SUITABLE ACCOMPAINMENTS. THANKS, KEN. YOU NEVER LET ME DOWN. :-) This was just "OK" for me. I found my carnitas meat to be too salty for my liking. I thought about decreasing the amount of salt, but decided not to because the opinions on this matter were equally divided. On the contrary, my fiance thought that our meat was bland and not salty at all lol! To make this a bit more convenient, I slow cooked everything on low for 10 hours (while I was at work). Served in corn tortillas with all the fixins', Mexican rice & my fiance's AWESOME guacamole, this was a decent, no fuss meal. Thansks for sharing, Ken! :-)
Ken, These Rock!! I made them just as stated but forgot the bay leaves. I cooked them in the oven and then fried them after wards. They were just like I get at the Mexican market kitchen. I Finally found a true carnitas recipe! Thank You Thank You Ken!!
These were really good! I was sad I didn't have more left over lol. I really enjoyed the slight bitterness that the orange peel added. I also cooked this is a crock pot on low for about 8 hours, because I do not own a dutch oven. I used about 1.5 lbs of pork loin because it was what I had on hand, so which means I halved the recipe but I still used two Bay leaves, it added nice earthy flavor. Thanks for the fantastic recipe!
Family loved them, but a little bland to me. Thank you for sharing a simple and good recipe!
Good basic pulled pork recipe. Perfect for taking cooked and adding to it for bbq or mexican style. A little bland, even though it seemed like I put in a ton of salt. If I made it again, I would probably add some spice.
VERY good! I made this in my crock pot on low all day and the meat was melt-in-your-mouth tender. I forgot to buy oranges, so I subbed limes and the result was delicious. I also used a can of chicken broth instead of plain water. I didn't have a problem with the recipe being too salty like others have complained about. My favorite thing about this recipe is that it's not heavily seasoned with Mexican spices, so the meat can be used in other types of dishes, too. We ate it wrapped in tortillas with cheese and sour cream last night and I'll be making BBQ pulled pork sandwiches with the leftovers tonight. Awesome, versatile recipe, Ken!!
This was so great. The oranges made such a nice addition. I have to admit I cooked two pork shoulders the same day and, although I tested this one (alot;), I froze this one but I'm convinced the flavours will be even better:)
This was very tasty! I didn't have any oranges, so I used some key limes and we all thought it was delicious!
I don't eat pork too often, so I am glad I chose this recipe. I followed it exactly and produced a meal that I was told was as good as any served in the taquerias in NYC. I used the broth and an extra orange to cook rice, and made guacamole and green salsa. The flavor in the meat is very subtle, but definitely there, so the leftovers can be used in a variety of other type dishes. Thanks, Ken, for a terrific recipe.
Outstanding! Used a boneless shoulder arm roast and a slow cooker. Didn't cut it up before hand, but instead roughly shredded it after. Other than that, used recipe as is. No need to change or adjust ingredients at all. (And Kosher salt is a must; don't use table salt.) I've tried other Carnitas recipes but this has the most authentic taste. I put mine in a pan under the broiler for a few minutes to crisp up the edges and used a little of the broth that it made to keep it moist (as some other users have). So delicious, Ken! This will be a regular in my house.
Both the kids and the adults liked it, and I really liked how easy it was. I also used the crockpot. This will be made often at this house.
Thank you for posting this recipe. I threw it all in the crock pot and it was so incredibly easy. The meat has a really good flavor. I had to substitute limes for the oranges but otherwise kept the recipe the same. I served it with Ken's delicious Quick and Easy Corn Salsa, guacamole and flour tortillas. Everyone loved it. I can hardly wait to try it again with oranges. I did crisp the meat up as Ken suggests in his review but I don't really think it was necessary. It was good both ways.
2-5-2016 ~We enjoyed this well enough once it was in tortillas with a few fixings, but only because I reduced the salt to a mere one-third of the amount called for. (And I did use the directed Kosher salt, not table salt) Even then it was plenty salty. Also, we appreciate the “simple” in the title, but in its simplicity we found it tasted heavily of just cumin… and salt. We also missed the traditional step of crisping the meat up at the end, whether it’s by broiling, baking at 400 degrees for about 15-20 minutes, or briefly frying.
Oh WOW! This was unbelievably easy and so delicious. This was some of the best home cooking I've ever tasted. Foolproof too. I used 1/2 c lime juice and 1/2 c orange juice in place of the oranges and around 3 cups of water to cover in the pan. I used pork loin roast instead of shoulder. I was apprehensive about the salt as that is a LOT of salt, but used 3 T and it wasn't salty at all. My husband didn't care for this but that's okay: more for the rest of us! Thanks Ken in Ca. !
A little salty, but GREAT flavor and super tender! Had to boil down the juices because they were a little thin, but I'll definitely be making this again!
Amazing, the flavor I have been looking for in a carnitas recipe! I also cooked the trimmed pork butt whole in a slow cooker. I kept all the ingredients as written. Very happy with the results.
The name of the recipe only tells half the story! This is not only simple, but delicious! I did use a crockpot (easy, peasy). And I did use a bone-in pork picnic roast (not so easy, peasy...the fat layer was a bear!). Served this with guac, cilantro-jalapeno relish, lettuce, and black beans. My kids were going back for thirds!
Delicious.. Seasoning was spot on! I had this in a whole wheat tortilla with green chili salsa, queso and cabbage. I wish I could eat more, but I have to save the rest for meals the rest of the week, I'll be making this often, that's for sure
I am usually nervous about trying recipes that don't have lots of reviews, but BOY am I glad I made this! I doubled the ingredients (slightly less than double the salt), used a 7 pound boston butt, crock pot on high for 8 hours and O. M. Goodness! I totally agree with the previous reviewer about the blend of flavors. . .so interesting and pleasing. . .so versatile. . .going to freeze the leftovers for some quick oven enchiladas. Marinated onions and peppers in mojo sauce and sauteed them for fajitas. Thanks so much for a great recipe! I've had some bad luck lately, but my bad streak is over!
Best I have ever had. I changed the recipe slightly. I added the following: 1) One (1) hatch pepper with seeds removed and cut into 1" sections 2) One (1) red bell pepper cut into long strips 1/2" wide. I used coarse gound pepper (11/2 teaspoon) as I did not have peppercorns. Cooked it in the oven at 250 degrees for 3 hours with the lid (baking dish)on and cooked it one (1) additional hour at 325 degrees with the lid off. FANTASTIC!!!!!
Delicious! I halved the recipe. I subbed some of the cumin for whole coriander. I used a cup of beer, and the rest water to cover the pork mixture. I let it slow-cook in the crock-pot for roughly 6 hours. I've never had carnitas before (I'm not reall a fan of Mexican cuisine) and I have to say I will be making these again! The orange does something magical to the meat. When it was done and shredded, I chose to crisp it up in a tiny smidgen of oil then combined it with some "Best Spanish Rice" I'd prepared to serve with it. The meal wasn't overly saucy or highly seasoned, but it was very good. My toddler ate two little bowls full! This would be great in tortillas too :)
Very good carnita recipe. I used all the ingredients, but cooked in the crockpot. I liked the taste of the oranges in this and also think lime would be a interesting flavor to try. I served this with 'Peppered Cilantro Rice' and 'Orange-Glazed Asparagus'. Thanks for sharing your recipe, Ken.
This was so easy to make! I just threw everything in a crockpot and it turned out great.
awesome. awesome. awesome. we haven't eaten yet but i tried some on a hawaiian roll. sooo good.
This has been on my list of recipes to try for years, and I've been missing out! Delicious! My daughter had to make a Spanish recipe for class, and we decided to do this--plus my friends and I were having a party where Mexican food was on the menu--double duty! We made this twice in one week and LOVED the flavors of the pork. Serve it on corn tortillas with shredded cabbage, tomatoes, & Amy's cilantro cream sauce (recipe from Allrecipes) and it was FABULOUS!!
I would cut the salt in half and I think 1 orange would be sufficient. I give it the 4 stars because of the reduction in salt and orange. It would otherwise be too salty and the orange flavor would be too strong. One orange will give the dish a bit of orange flavor but not intefering with the flavor of the meat.
Great recipe. I've never had Carnitas before, and I stumbled across this recipe when I looked up "boneless pork dinner." I really wanted to try something other than pork chops with the boneless chops I had. I cut the recipe in third because I only had a little over a pound of pork. Worked very well. After the pork was cooked, I pulled the meat out, fished out and squeezed the oranges, fished a few of the peppercorns out as well, and then dumped the liquid into a blender and pulverized it into a sauce! After tasting it, I hit it with a bit of sugar because *I* found it a little too sharp for me. Served on heated corn tortillas with some shredded cheese, salsa, and sour cream with a bit of the sauce. Super tasty. Like I said, no idea what the real thing tastes like (so I'll have to go have some at a restaurant), but my husband says I need to add this to the rotation! :)
Very easy & flavorful. I used a Boston butt as the cut & browned the meat before cooking in a slow cooker.
Made this in the crock pot and we all loved it! We will definitely be making it again.
I made this for dinner tonight and it was soooooo good! I did it in the slow cooker and smelling it all day made us hungry. We were not disappointed. I have a ton left over so I will be using that for other dishes. This will definitely be made many times at our house. Thanks for the recipe!! : )
