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Lunch/Dinners

Carnitas

TIME

2 h 45 min

DIFFICULTY

Medium

SERVINGS

4

CALORIES

468 kcal

CARBS

10 g

PROTEIN

42 g

FAT

29 g

Z Carnitas

About this recipe

This home-style variation cooks pork shoulder with chicken broth, lime juice, and generous chili, garlic, and cumin seasoning. The pork becomes tender as it braises, then browns uncovered in its rendered fat.

WHY YOU’LL LOVE IT

Lime juice brightens the rich, slow-cooked pork. Chili, garlic, and cumin season every bite generously. The uncovered finish creates browned, crisp edges.

Ingredients

  • 2 lb boneless pork shoulder (about 907 g), cut into 2-inch chunks
  • ⅔ cup chicken broth (5⅓ fl oz / 160 ml)
  • ¼ cup fresh lime juice (2 fl oz / 60 ml), about 2–3 limes
  • 2 tbsp chili powder (about 15 g)
  • 2 tbsp garlic powder (about 18 g)
  • 2 tbsp ground cumin (about 12 g)
  • 2 tsp dried Mexican oregano (about 2 g)
  • 1 tsp kosher salt (about 5 g), adjust to the saltiness of the broth
  • ½ tsp ground black pepper (about 1 g)

Preparation

  1. Heat the oven to 325°F (165°C). In a small bowl, combine the chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, Mexican oregano, salt, and black pepper.
  2. Pat the pork dry and rub the seasoning mixture over all sides. Arrange the pieces snugly in a baking dish.
  3. Pour the chicken broth and lime juice around the pork. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 1 hour 30 minutes. Check for tenderness; if still firm, cover and bake in 15-minute increments until fork-tender.
  4. Remove the foil and raise the oven to 450°F (230°C). Roast until most of the liquid has evaporated and the pork begins to brown in its rendered fat, about 25–35 minutes.
  5. Turn and break the pork into large pieces. Roast uncovered for another 15–20 minutes, turning every few minutes, until browned at the edges.
  6. Taste and adjust the salt. Serve hot, spooning a little of the cooking juices over the meat.

Tips

Choose a baking dish that holds the pork snugly so it braises instead of drying out.
Check the broth label before salting; some stocks are already quite salty.
For crispier edges, spread the cooked pork on a sheet pan and broil briefly, watching closely.

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