In the world of slow-cooked meats, carnitas might be king. I've made an extensive study of the subject and nothing beats their ratio of effort to deliciousness, and done right they pair with just about any other meal we make that needs a meat element. When we don't have an inspiring protein for the week, I can always reach into the freezer for pork shoulder and have something rich delicious ready in a couple of hours for the next four nights of eating.
Carnitas, Spanish for "little meats," always struck me as a misnomer, since the amount of flavor they pack and meat they start with is anything but little. Several pounds of marbled pork braises uncovered with as many alliums as you can muster until finally it's frying in its own rendered fat, breaking down into a glorious, deeply flavored, salty, delicious, fork-tender mess.
This recipe is adapted from a bunch of different sources. I've probably made carnitas four dozen times by this point in my life, each a slight variation on the last. I've tried probably every trick imaginable It's almost unrecognizable from my starting point, which I'm pretty sure has been lost to time. The essential ingredients, though, are pork, onion & garlic, citrus, water, salt, extra fat, and spices. How much of any of those things you put in depends on your mood and what you have in the fridge, but the recipe below is a great starting point.
Another thing I should note is that although I say "fast" in the title, these carnitas take anywhere from 1.5 to 3 hours, depending on how big you cut your meat and how tender you like the finished product. That's markedly faster than slow-cooker recipes or oven braises which, while delicious, are strictly a weekend endeavor. If you can wait an hour and a half from the time you get home, you can have incredible tacos for dinner even on a weeknight.
This stovetop recipe is the best compromise between ease, time, and taste that I've found in my many, many variations.
The Recipe
2-3 pounds of pork shoulder or pork butt, deboned & cut into 1.5 inch chunks
1/2 orange, cut into two wedges
1/2 large yellow or white onion, sliced thinly
6-10 cloves garlic (6 large or 10 small, or more)
1 tbsp oregano
1 tbsp kosher salt
1/4 c butter
(optional) 1 bay leaf
(optional) 1 stick cinnamon or 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
Add all ingredients to a large, preferably oven-proof pot. A dutch oven works great
Add water to cover pork by half an inch or so.
Turn burner to high heat and bring to a boil.
Lower heat to medium or medium-low and cook uncovered until water is evaporated, about 1.5-2 hours. You'll hear the sound of the pot change deliciously from bubbling to sizzling as the pork starts to cook in its own fat.
Test the pork by poking it with a sharp knife. It should shred easily and be nearly effortless to insert the knife into. If it's not, add another inch of water to the pan and wait for it to evaporate.
Remove the orange, bay leaves, and cinnamon stick, if using. Toss the pork around in the pan to coat with the garlic-onion paste it's cooking in.
Move the pan to the oven and broil on high for 5 minutes or until your preferred doneness.
Remove carefully from oven, pile immediately onto corn tortillas with onion, cilantro, salsa, and whatever else you like, and devour over the sink.
Notes: you can also add other alliums to this recipe, whatever you have in your fridge or pantry will work great. Thin-sliced shallots will add a buttery element; green onions will add a springy sharpness; red onion will add sweetness.
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