Orange and Milk-Braised Pork Carnitas

This is a winner! Perfect, tender, well seasoned and succulent...which is how carnitas should be. I used lard and I was a little more generous with the amount than Chef John's recipe. I suggest our favorite salad/relish to accompany this. Sliced carrots, thinly sliced onion, finely chopped jalapeno, and chopped cucumber and cilantro in an equal part of vinegar, water and sugar. The bright flavor offsets this beautifully! The only thing I would warn is that Chef John was not exaggerating when he advised a large pot. I used an 8 quart dutch oven and I had an unholy mess on my stove top. Use a BIG POT!! Thanks for another delish recipe Chef John!

This was fantastic, though I have some questions...Are you supposed to add water to boil the pork? I just covered it after pouring in the milk. Also, O.J. and milk curdle. Is that what's intended?

I used double the orange because I really wanted to taste it and I do taste it. After extracting the meat chunks I had this amazing gravy left over I’m not sure since it has boiled milk in it how a body will react but it tastes absolutely delicious. Because I want to not waste the gravy I have decided to put it over a bed of rice and eat the meat on top. I also scooped off some of the gravy and grease and used it on some iron skillet shaved brussels sprouts. My wife will not stop eating the chunks of meat and this is supposed to be next week‘s lunches for me she won’t stay away she loves it so much!

I really enjoyed the carnitas! But I did take the advice of some one else who reviewed it and made a sauce out of the leftover juices adding a couple of canned chipotle chilis and a tablespoon of corn starch to thicken. I simmered it all together for about ten minute and then I put it all in the blender. I got compliments about the carnitas and raves about the sauce. I'm actual going to use this recipe and sauce to fill tamales. Looking forward to seeing how they turn out.

love it!!! didnt have time so instead of baking used the pressure cooker. also added some garlic, just because we like it. the mix of milk, orange juice and the spices is simply SPECTACULAR. it will be on our menu from now on. thanks

I haven't made this yet, but assure you that I will soon!! Reading some of the previous comments made me glad that I had taken the time to WATCH Chef John's video. Aside from his delightful manner in explaining the cooking process, he gives tips or reasons WHY he does things. I won't be scared of the milk curdling a bit...and can use that bit of milk that is in the expired carton!!

Everything Chef John does is incredible, and this is no exception. My only notes... 1. Having a certain size to chop the pork in would be good. In the video he says any size is fine as long as they are all the same. I did mine probably 3x3 but it was a little big I think. 2. The milk does turn into strange little dots. I tried some (I know, weird) because I was trying to take them out. They are creamy little things, like ricotta (this is actually how you make ricotta!). After baking, they dissappear. Don't worry about them! They probably help it crisp. 3. Oh geez... I can't remember. This is all lovely. Don't throw away the sauce it's made in, it is so good. Just make this! You'll love it!

Watch the video. The milk and OJ definitely look pretty gross for a while. The end result is AMAZINGLY tender taco or burrito fillings. We added cheese and salsa on top.

Made it last night and everybody LOVED it! We had only 3 people so I bought a 2.7lb piece of pork shoulder and followed the recipe, didn't change anything but put less salt. It worked just fine. Definitely will make this again. P/s: I've been following Chef John for a while and never let down.

Family loved it. The subtle hint of orange was good and blended well with the cumin. A little salty for my taste so may reduce next time. Meat was very tender after 2 hours.

This is good. I forgot to buy an orange, so I substituted with sherry, which worked well. I scaled the recipe down for us two, and adjusted times a bit; did a little too much time under the broiler, but my husband liked the crunch effect. I'll adjust that next time (and there will be a next time). Served with an eggplant ragu/salsa, and red cabbage slaw, to put on the warmed tortillas. Yum!

No changes, made it exactly as recipe called for. Very good flavor, a wee bit hot. I'm a low carber, so am eating it with cauli-rice and some pico de gallo. I'm going to look up some recipes for low carb tortillas. These are begging to be wrapped in something and eaten out of hand!

Delicious! I would add a little more milk...I didn’t seem to have enough with 3# of Pork. Other than that killer recipe!

Wow this was delicious. So tender. Husband raved. Will make again and again!

So I remember what I did I'm writing it all. I had a 2 1/4 lb roasting pork, it was called, looked like pork shoulder without a bone and maybe filleted a bit. Took the noticeable fat off that was easy to remove. Used my 6 qt cast iron dutch oven, browned the pork after cutting into 1-2" pieces added spices used about half the oregano added 2 cloves chopped garlic, had to use mandarin oranges so used the zest from 2 1/2 (using my microplane) and juice from those also, only used 1 3/4 c. milk because I think I had a little less meat than the recipe. Cooked as directed until fork tender which from the browning stage until fork tender took 1 1/2 hours. I strained the left over liquid/solids and tried to drain a little of the fat off the top to drizzle over the pork for the oven, then added the strained liquid back to the dutch oven and added a couple spoons of blended canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce to make a sauce (which is very spicy) which was great to add sparingly over your pork when assembling your pork taco/tortilla. I only did the baking in the 450 oven for 15 min., I skipped the broiling because I was afraid it would dry out too much.

I don’t cook. I made this in a 3rd or 4th attempt to at least cook, even if I never became a “cook”. THIS WAS AMAZING!!! I enjoyed making it and I loved it and so did the family I shared it with. All those flavors came together and blessed every part of me. Even my sis-in-law had to admit it was a winner ????. Will make this again and AGAIN!!!

I made it exactly as described and it was awesome. I will take it easy on the salt next time... think i got a little carried away. Used it for tacos dressed with a bit of pico and cotija... so good. Thanks for the great recipe!!

Absolutely amazing recipe! I followed this exactly. Wife's reaction: "OMG! This is frickin amazing!"

I triple this recipe for a big party. Didn't have whole orange but had orange juice, so put about 2 cups in. And had Clementine baby oranges so put the whole oranges in. Accidentally over cooked it, so it was very soft which is what the video said not to do, but it still tasted great.

This recipe is absolutely perfect. Beautiful balance of succulent pork, citrus and spices. My only change was that I didn't use as much salt as the recipe called for. Made pico de gallo and served in warm corn tortillas with plenty of cilantro. This is so good that I'm thinking about having leftovers for breakfast!

I made it following literally the recipe and was delicious. I will do it again

I made this using lamb instead of pork, but otherwise made as directed. Flavor was good, but there were little balls of curdled milk still sticking to the meat at the end of cooking time. I actually rinsed the meat off before moving to the next step, and it turned out fine.

Loved it ! Cooked it and I have to admit I was a little concerned when it came to the milk. I substituted the orange and added some extra sour orange juice. But once I was done my wife said it was the best pork I ever cooked ! Added my cilantro avocado and some Roma tomatoes with a green sauce and placed it all in my flour tortilla and the rest was history. Thank you

The ingredients and instructions in the Allrecipe email were not complex so I gave the recipe a try. Oh my, I found a new favorite. The video was extremely helpful. The tenderness and flavor were exactly as described. The only change I made was, after broiling, I added about 1/2 cup of the leftover fluid/drippings and tossed it with the meat. The fresh cilantro and warmed flour tortillas completed the dish.

I followed the recipe directions and it was delicious. I didn't have fresh cilantro so I used dried. We are keeping this as a favorite from now on and I will be sure to have fresh cilantro well in advance of cooking this. I did have a hard time finding white corn tortillas though and got the whitest one I could find but it was not listed that way on the package.

Yummy.

The best Carnitas recipe I’ve ever made. Hands down better than going to any Mexican place in Boston which may not say much for those who are lucky enough to live in California or Texas, but still pretty awesome!!!! Will repeat over, and over, and over!!!!

I made zero changes & it was phenomenal. I was slightly nervous using the milk, but I listened to Chef John & let it cook for the correct amount of time and it turned out perfect. Hubby asked that I put this into the recipe rotation ;)

Absolutely delicious. I only had almond milk and orange juice, so I used that instead, and it was still fantastic. And it didn't curdle since it wasn't real milk. Watch the video! It's helpful. Great all around.

This is excellent, soft and crispy and delicious. To accommodate a dairy-free eater I replaced the milk with chicken broth and it worked very well.

Amazeballs! Followed directions exactly and it was delicious. The next day I used the leftovers to make tinga.

This is such a nice zesty pork carnitas recipe. I have tried others including slow cooker recipes. They don't measure up to this recipe.

Delicious as written!

Excellent as is. Thanks!

Chef John recipes are always fun to make and are always uniquely fabulous. This one did not disappoint. The meat was super moist and had just the right amount of spice. Rolled up in a soft tortilla shell with home made salsa, shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream.YUM!

After meat is braised spread out and set under a heat lamp or broiler on low and season with season salt and bye the way milk is essential to breaking down the fat and fiber that make the meat tuff and adds that flavor into the meat made this quite often using menudo spice and remember it's a big difference between Mexican oregano and Italian oregano

Another winner, Chef John! Thank you. I saw something at the market that I had never seen before. A 7-bone pork "roast" kind of like a large "steak." Worked out very well since I took the meat off the bone. Easy recipe. I've cooked pork in milk before and I'm not sure, despite stirring, how to get rid of the little congealed bits of milk. This cut was very lean, so I had to use oil in the bottom of a small baking dish. Will not hesitate to use this cut again and will definitely try it using the regular pork shoulder cut. Just awesome. Would be good paired with Chef John's Golden State Gazpacho, too.

I guess the orange juice caused my mile to curdle or clump? The flavors were very good. We ate it as our main dish with mashed potatoes and corn.

No need to change a thing - delicious as it is written. Take the time to watch the video and there are no questions. Served on corn tortillas with cilantro, onion and guacamole with a side of Spanish rice and pinto beans. You can't go wrong with this recipe if you can simply follow the directions. Sooo good!

I Followed the recipe as instructed, no modifications. Carnitas were a hit, tender and delicious, will make this again!

Incredible!

We started with 4.5 lbs of pork and upped all the ingredients by 50%, except we used 3 oranges. It was fantastic. The second batch is in the cooking stage.

Followed the recipe just as it said, and it turned out delicious. Chef John said his wasn't as good as the one he was copying, but I can't imagine it tasting any better! Tender meat, with a bit of crispy on the edges.

Very good. I will make this again. Super simple. My hubby loved it.

Delicious! I even made the mistake of simmering the carnita's a bit too long and the meat was a little dry, but the flavor was still there. Other than that mistake, I followed the recipe to the T, including toppings; salsa, onion, cilantro, lime and white corn tortillas. ALL of these are essential IMO! The flavors blend perfectly with the touch or orange in the meat. My teenagers loved it. This recipe may work in a crock pot, if anyone has a recommendation for timing I would appreciate it!

I will definitely make it again! And it will be a family favorite. These carnitas came out perfectly. I followed the reciepe as stated and served with homemade roasted pepper salsa.

Really good. Really easy. I will definitely use the recipe from now on.

So Easy, So Good.....Try them!!

Such an outstanding recipe! I have made this three times now and it’s a family favorite. The uses for the meat are endless. Try stuffing some chili relleno peppers with the meat and shredded cheese. Making it today and used half and half instead of milk. I think the extra fat in the milk ingredient will make it even better (if that’s possible).

I wish I could rate this higher! Love it! Just follow the directions and add your toppings to your liking on a tortilla! Going to put this pork in my rice bowl for lunch tomorrow! Mine only took an hour but that may have to do with the size of how I cut it Thank you!

Very Very Good.

I love this recipe and it was delicious. So easy to make it.

Full of flavor. Less grease. Tender, best carnitas ever! Lard no more!

Turned out great

I've been wanting to try my hand at making carnitas and seeing this recipe got me motivated. I followed the recipe exactly except I needed extra milk to cover the meat. I used 3.5 lbs of pork shoulder but cut it into smaller pieces than seen in the video. This may be why I needed an extra cup of milk. I didn't change anything else and it came out amazing! Such a great flavor, subtle orange with slight spice. This will be my go to for Carnitas.

Nice pork recipe. I did not make tacos, though. I made hasselback potatoes, although a plain baked potato, rice, or mashed potatoes would be fine. I halfed the recipe, since I had a 1.5 lb shoulder. My extra oil didn't separate for the baking, so I put a little bacon fat in the pan, and tossed that, along with the orange milk broth. I don't know why he didn't just say to use the broth at the end. Maybe it would burn? I did have a cleaning issue at the end, but not too bad. I reduced the broth with a little cornstarch and served it on the side.

It was bland. Very disappointed

Excellent! No need to change anything for perfect , succulent results. This is my third time making this recipe. The last two, I have saved the leftover liquid and make a delicious gravy out of it for the next nights dinner. Thank you for another winning recipe!

Easy and very good! Like the orange.

My new “Go To” for carnitas! Thanks Chef John!

I have made this several times and realized that I haven't reviewed it! Sorry! I love this dish. I do add some more seasoning because I am heavy handed with spices, so I will add chili powder, garlic powder & onion powder. They best part to this dish is crisping it up after. I also find, if I make a lot for left overs, I will reserve that portion after it has cooked in the liquid and put it in the fridge to be baked/broiled for that next meal - freshly crisp! Thanks!

This was exceptionally wonderful!

Okay so, I was PETRIFIED of the idea of braising meat in milk. However it did come out super tender, a little dry though. I'll also be changing up the spices next time, but it was great. Thanks John!!!

I will definitely make it again. I used a pork loin & a butt roast

Followed recipe, except roasted in oven too long so it was a little dry (my bad). Next time I’ll follow the direction precisely! Great flavor, spices and subtle hint of orange made it delicious! Another winner from Chef John, thanks for posting.

I made it as says. It was disgusting. Family ordered pizza and swore to never speak of this again it was so gross.

So good! I love how the meat just melts in the mouth. I'm not familiar with Mexican cuisine and have no term of comparison but I loved this recipe and will do it again. Only problem is that our cuts of pork are different from those in the USA and I'm not sure I got the right meat, found it to have too much fat, but I'll read more about this and I'll try to find the right piece next time.

I love spicy food so I added extra cayenne, orange juice, lime juice and half a packet of spicy taco mix. Then I added 1 tbsp rough cut mustard and 2 tbsp honey. Results were bright tasting and spicy, but meat was stringy. Next time I'll broil after simmering. Unique flavor and very moreish.

Excellent recipe and easy! Second time making it used boneless country style pork "ribs" cut into 1-1 1/2" chunks and it was fork tender in just over an hour and even better than the pork butt. Made traditional tacos to rave reviews. The cooking liquid is just too good to toss so I reduced it and used it to cook rice the next night and served it with Halibut which was all just fabulous. I can see the pork just with the orange/milk rice as well. Yum! Thanks Chef John.

Incredible. I saw a reviewer say it was terrible. This had to be user error. Even without any toppings it was great. We threw in some raw onion for the last 5 minutes under the broiler. It was perfect.