Carnitas is what some refer to as “Mexican pulled pork”. Most are probably introduced to carnitas at their favorite taqueria as a taco filling. It happens to be one of my favorites. I almost always order carnitas as at least 1 of my tacos in an order. The traditional method of cooking carnitas calls for braising pork in lard for several hours. This produces a tender, juicy meat. It’s delicious and flavorful.

This recipe is a bit on the healthier side as it calls for no lard. In fact, it calls for no oil at all. The pork shoulder slowly roasts in its own juices along with dried herbs, aromatics and Coke. But not just any Coke… the good stuff, Mexican Coke. The Kroger grocery store in my neighborhood sells individual bottles for about $1.50 each, and it is worth it. If your grocer doesn’t carry this glass bottled Coke, regular Coke will work just fine. The sugar and flavor from the cola enhances the flavor of the already tasty pork.

The pork butt or shoulder will cook in the oven for at least 2.5 hours. It will be done when it can be easily pulled apart with a fork. The pork will then be shredded. After that, I like to finish it off in a hot cast iron skillet. This will give the meat a nice crispiness to the texture. If the meat starts to get too dry (which it shouldn’t), just add a bit of the juices from the dutch oven.

Uses and Storing

The carnitas can be used in tacos, burritos, tostadas, or quesadillas. But it can also be served as is topped with cilantro and chopped onions, for example. Perfect with a side of rice and beans. Any remaining carnitas, if there is such a thing, should last a few days in the fridge. The alternative option is to portion it out and store it in the freezer. Simply defrost each portion as needed. If you go this route, heating up in a skillet or cast iron would be the best bet after the meat has defrosted.

If you make this recipe, leave a comment below and post on Instagram. Make sure to tag @blasianbonvivant and use hashtag #bbvrecipe.

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Slow Roasted Carnitas

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Total Time2 hours hrs 45 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Keywords: Mexican Pulled Pork

Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 2 lbs skinless, boneless pork butt or shoulder cut into 2-3 inch cubes
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tbsp cumin
• 1/2 tbsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 large yellow onion, cut into wedges
• 6 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 orange, juiced
• 1/3 cup Mexican Coke
• 2 bay leaves

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 degress F.
• Rinse and pat dry cubed pork butt. Brown pieces in a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat (approximately 1-2 minutes per side).
• Place seared pieces in a large dutch oven or lidded bakeware.
• Add remaining ingredients to the dutch oven with the pork.
• Cook, covered, for approximately 2.5 hours. Pork will be ready when it is tender and can easily be pulled apart with a fork.
• Using 2 forks, shred all of the pork and let sit in the juices.
• Prior to serving, heat desired portion in a hot skillet to give the pork a nice crisp. Add a bit of the juices to keep the pork moist.