Super Easy Pork Carnitas

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2 ½ - 3 pound pork butt cut into large chunks – DO NOT TRIM FAT FROM PORK!

1 orange with the skin on

1 lime with the skin on

4-8 whole garlic cloves, skin removed

1 Fresh Jalapeno

1 medium onion

1 t salt

½ t freshly ground black pepper

½ t dried oregano

1 t cumin

½ t garlic powder

1 T olive oil

Preheat oven to 275 degrees.

Cut orange and lime into 8 wedges, leaving the skin on. Smash garlic cloves. Slice jalapeno into ½” thick slices. Peel the onion and cut into 8 wedges. Arrange all of this in the bottom of a 9x13x2 casserole dish.

Arrange the chunks of pork on top of the fruit and veggies. It is SUPER IMPORTANT that you leave the fat on the pork! You can separate it later if desired.

Sprinkle salt and seasonings over the top of the meat and drizzle with olive oil. Cover the top with parchment paper, then cover tightly with foil.

Place the pan on a cookie sheet (just in case any juices/fat escape the pan!) and place in the preheated oven for 5 hours.

Remove the pan from the oven and allow to cool for about a half hour. Uncover the pan and start separating the meat from the fat. At this point, you will want to break the meat into bite sized pieces. Everything left in the pan under the meat can be disposed of. I personally recommend fishing out the onion, garlic, and jalapeno – they’re really tasty after being cooked this way!

When you are ready to serve, move your oven rack so that it is about 6” from the broiler. Turn on the broiler in your oven. Spread the meat on a foil lined cookie sheet and place under the broiler. PAY ATTENTION to this part! Start checking the meat at about 2 minutes, then check at 1 minute intervals until the edges of the meat bits are browned and crispy. When the first side is all crispy and browned, flip the meat over and repeat the process on the second side.

Serve in warm corn tortillas with whatever toppings make you happy! If you're going for a more traditional taste, garnish with diced red onion, chopped cilantro, and crumbled cotija cheese.

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There is a Mexican restaurant chain here that is lacking in many areas. The shining star on the menu is pork carnitas nachos. I am here to tell you - I would skip food for two days if it meant getting a plate of those nachos! The meat is super tender and has glorious crispy bits on every edge.

As I do with most things, I started poking around for recipes. I mean, how hard could it be to make carnitas? Turns out it is incredibly easy! If you can chop up some fruit, veggies, and pork, you can absolutely make killer carnitas!! Oh - you can also catch pork on sale crazy cheap, so this makes for a budget friendly meal as well! I found pork butt on sale for literally $0.89/pound!

The original recipe called for a pound of lard...I just couldn't make myself do it do it. The pork butt is already fatty and I just had my annual discussion with my doc about cholesterol. I'm good, but it's because I make alterations to recipes so that they fit into a healthier diet. Skipping the fat trimming is crucial if you're leaving out the lard. I honestly can't tell the difference in mine and the ones from the local joint down the road. As a matter of fact, I like mine better because they're not so salty.

If you want to prep these for some speedy Taco Tuesday fare, do the roasting and meat/fat separation on the weekend and put the meat in the fridge. All you have to do on taco night is broil the meat and warm the tortillas. Toppings are up to you and what fits your family's taste. I change toppings up regularly! Last night I made some pico de gallo, threw in some avocado, and sprinkled with some crumbled feta. It's all about what you have on hand and what sounds good. So you have a kiddo that won't eat any cheese that isn't cheddar? Guess what you can throw on top? Lactose intolerant? Skip the cheese and dive into that avocado! Corn tortillas not your jam? Flour tortillas are fine, too!

The words that make me the saddest to hear are "I can't cook!" Can you cut up some veggies and meat? Then yes, you can cook! This literally goes into the oven for five HANDS OFF hours! What you do with those tasty little bits are up to you. Tacos? Nachos? Breakfast tacos? The world is your carnita!

I hope you're all having a great year so far! Get out those pans and start cooking!