Processing closes at 5 PM on weekdays, is open 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM Saturday, and is closed on Sundays.
Pork Carnitas are delicious, authentic Mexcian tacos made from slow cooked Pork Shoulder. We have a very popular Slow Cooker Pork Carnita recipe on the site already, but after talking to our friend Jaime, we came up with a recipe that used tips from his Mom’s recipe. We think the results are even more delicious than our slow cooker recipe. Serve these tacos with rice and beans on the side and a Mexican Coke to wash it down. To hear Jaime share his stories about Carnitas, listen to Episode 3 of our podcast, Reduce by Half. It’s less than 9 minutes long, and is definitely worth your time. Enjoy!
Add the lard (you can also use bacon fat) to a large Dutch oven and heat over medium heat until melted. While the lard is melting, cut the pork into 2″ chunks and season on all sides with salt. Discard any excess fat. When the lard is melted, add the pork and sear on all sides.
Once the pork is brown, pour in the orange juice and Coca-Cola. Add the onions and garlic as well. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook uncovered for an hour, stirring as necessary to prevent the meat from sticking to the bottom.
After an hour, the meat should be cooked to 145ºF. Once has reached that temperature, remove the meat from the Dutch oven with a slotted spoon and put it on a cutting board. Roughly chop, or shred the meat to your preference.
Serve the tacos by putting the carnitas meat on a warmed tortilla, pouring some of the cooking juices on top, and adding chopped onion, cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice. Enjoy!
