Orange and Milk-Braised Pork Carnitas

Cinco de Mayo - World Cuisine

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.

Brief

Prep 10 mins

Cook: 2hrs30 mins

Total: 2hrs40 mins

Servings: 8

Yield: 8 servings

Orange and Milk-Braised Pork Carnitas

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

A Fantastic Margarita

World Cuisine

Directions

Step 1

Season pork with pepper and salt.

Step 2

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.

Step 3

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.

Step 4

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).

Step 5

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.

Step 6

Bake in preheated oven until pork is browned about 15 minutes. Stir pork.

Step 7

Turn on oven's broiler. Cook pork under broiler until crisp 2 to 3 minutes.

Nutritional Information

Orange and Milk-Braised Pork Carnitas

Servings Per Recipe:8

Calories: 324.9

% Daily Value *

Protein: 22.4g 45%

Carbohydrates: 3.7g 1%

Dietary Fiber: 0.4g 2%

Sugars: 2.8g

Fat: 24.1g 37%

Saturated Fat: 8.5g 43%

Cholesterol: 84.2mg 28%

Vitamin A Iu: 116.9IU 2%

Niacin Equivalents: 8.4mg 64%

Vitamin B6: 0.3mg 18%

Vitamin C: 0.8mg 1%

Folate: 8.2mcg 2%

Calcium: 101.5mg 10%

Iron: 1.8mg 10%

Magnesium: 25.8mg 9%

Potassium: 396.6mg 11%

Sodium: 804.7mg 32%

Thiamin: 0.5mg 53%

Calories From Fat: 217.1

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

**Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-)Nutrition information is provided for reference only. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.