Carnitas de Puerco (Mexican Pulled Pork with Citrus & Cumin)

Carnitas de Puerco (Mexican Pulled Pork with Citrus & Cumin)

Carnitas de Puerco1 (5-6 lb.) Pork Shoulder
2 tsp. Cumin
2 tsp. Mexican Oregano
3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
2 Oranges, halved
1 Lime, halved
2 Bay Leaves
1 White Onion, peeled and Quartered
2 T. Sweetened Condensed Milk
12oz. can Mexican Beer
4 C. Water
2 tsp. Salt

For serving: Tortillas, Fresh Avocado Guacamole, Salsa Mexicana

Rinse pork shoulder under cool running water and pat dry with a clean paper towel. Move to cutting board and cut into 2 inch pieces. Cut as uniform as possible. Don’t trim fat; it will render in cooking and crisp the pork in the final stages of cooking. Place pork in heavy bottomed stock pot or dutch oven and toss with cumin and oregano. Add garlic, 2 orange halves, lime halves, bay leaves, onion, and sweetened condensed milk and pour the beer on top. Cover with water and bring to a boil, uncovered, over medium high heat. Once it reaches a boil, reduce heat to medium and continue simmering, stirring occasionally, for 90 minutes to 2 hours, until pork is fork tender and all liquid is evaporated. Stir more often as liquid evaporates to ensure pork does not stick to the pan. Preheat oven to 425. Once liquid has evaporated, transfer to oven safe dish (unless using Dutch oven) and discard bay leaves, onion, orange and lime. Sprinkle with salt and pour any pan drippings into roasting dish. Cook, uncovered, for 15 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from oven and squeeze juice of remaining oranges on top. Serve with tortillas, guacamole and salsa.

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