Tacos of Carnitas Roasted with Orange, Milk, and Pepper
Traditional Mexican carnitas made with tender pork shoulder that's slowly roasted with orange, milk, and black pepper until crispy. The meat is served in warm corn tortillas and garnished with fresh toppings for a delicious taco experience.
Ingredients
- •3 pounds boneless pork shoulder (butt) or boneless country pork ribs
- •1 tablespoon lard
- •½ teaspoon salt
- •½ whole orange, well washed
- •1 cup whole milk
- •2 cups water
- •½ teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
- •12 pieces corn tortillas
- •2 whole avocado
- •1 cup tomatillo salsa
- •1 cup chicharrónes
- •1 cup white onion
- •1 cup cilantro
Cooking Instructions
- 1.
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
10 min
- 2.
2. Cut the pork into 6 or 8 pieces. Melt the lard in a heavy Dutch oven just large enough to hold the meat in one layer. Brown the meat on all sides and season with salt.
20 min
- 3.
3. Squeeze the orange over the meat and toss the rind into the pan. Pour the milk over the meat and add enough water to almost cover the meat. Sprinkle with pepper. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for about 2 hours, until the meat is fork-tender.
120 min
- 4.
4. To finish, uncover the meat and break into into largish pieces. Remove the orange rind and discard. Roast, uncovered, until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 20 minutes, or until the meat is brown and crisp on the edges.
20 min
- 5.
5. To assemble the tacos, fill a warm tortilla with shredded pork. Top with avocado and salsa, a little of the chicharrón, and finish with generous amounts of onion and cilantro.
10 min