Name: Pork Carnitas
Total time: 3 h 30 min
Cuisine: MexicanLatin America & Caribbean
Ingredients: 4 pounds boneless pork butt roast , cut into 2-inch pieces; Kosher salt; 2 pounds lard , cut into 8 pieces; 24 (6-inch) corn tortillas , toasted; Finely chopped onion; coarsely chopped fresh cilantro; Lime wedge

Why This Recipe Works

Inspired by the carnitas we ate at Carnitas Uruapan in Chicago, we were after soft, ultrarich pork meat with lightly crisped edges. We wanted a laser-focus on pork flavor, and that meant cooking the pork in lard with no extra seasonings or spices. Pork butt proved to be an ideal choice for two reasons: It packs meaty pork flavor, and it is an easy cut to find at supermarkets. Cooking the meat in a Dutch oven in a 300-degree oven helped it cook evenly. Another bonus was that the corners of pork that poked above the surface of the fat browned well and developed beautiful, lightly crisped edges. Chopping the meat into bite-size pieces made it ideal for packing into warmed corn tortillas.

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Before You Begin

We developed this recipe using Morrell Snow Cap Lard, but you can substitute 4 cups of peanut or vegetable oil. Pork butt roast is often labeled Boston butt in the supermarket. The pork doesn’t need to be cut into perfect 2-inch pieces; a little variation in size is fine. Serve with Quick Tomatillo Salsa, if desired.

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Sprinkle pork with 1½ tablespoons salt. Melt lard in large Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add pork, increase heat to medium-high, and cook until bubbling vigorously all over, about 5 minutes. Transfer to oven and cook, uncovered, until pork is tender, about 2½ hours.

Remove pot from oven and let stand for 30 minutes. Using spider skimmer or tongs, transfer pork to carving board; chop into bite-size pieces. Transfer pork to bowl and season with salt to taste. Divide pork among warm tortillas and garnish with onion and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.