Authentic and crispy pork carnitas served within wam tortillas in a Ziploc® Endurables™ Pouch.

Easy Pork Carnitas

Total cook time: 4 hours | Prep time: 30 minutes
Makes 4 cups, about 6 servings

An authentic pork carnitas recipe served with warm tortillas and sauces.

For this meal you don't need to cross the border or take a plane. You just need your oven, a Ziploc® Endurables™ Large Pouch and a few hours. If you follow every step to the letter, you’ll enjoy delicious Mexican food right at home.

Ingredients

  • 3½

    lb. boneless pork shoulder butt

  • 2

    tsp. salt

  • 1

    orange

  •   
  • 1

    onion, cut into wedges

  • 4

    garlic cloves, cut in half

  • 2

    bay leaves

  • 1

    cinnamon stick

  • 2

    tsp. dried oregano

  • ¼

    cup vegetable oil

Directions

  • 1

    Heat oven to 300°F.
  • 2

    Cut pork into 8 pieces; sprinkle evenly with salt.
  • 3

    Use a vegetable peeler to remove the zest from the orange, being careful to just remove the orange part of the peel. Reserve peeled orange for another use.
  • 4

    Pack 4 pork pieces in single layer on bottom of Endurables™ Pouch; top with orange zest, onions, garlic, bay leaves, cinnamon stick and oregano. Top with remaining pork pieces; press firmly into other ingredient layers in Pouch. Drizzle with oil.
  • 5

    Squeeze air from Endurables™ Pouch; close zipper, leaving a one inch opening to vent. Place Pouch in a 9x5-inch loaf pan.
  • 6

    Bake on bottom oven rack 3 to 3½ hours or until pork is fork tender. Remove loaf pan from oven; cool pork in Endurables™ Pouch 15 min.
  • 7

    Place large strainer or colander over large bowl. Carefully pour liquid from Endurables™ Pouch through strainer. Transfer the strained juices into a small bowl. Let stand 5 min. or until fat rises to surface. Spoon the fat into a different small bowl; set aside along with the strained liquid.
  • 8

    Remove pork from Endurables™ Pouch; discard all Carnita ingredients remaining in the Pouch. Remove and discard fat and connective tissue from pork, then break pork into bite-size pieces.
  • 9

    Heat 2 Tbsp. of the reserved fat in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add single layer of pork; drizzle with about ¼ cup of the strained liquid. Cook, without stirring, 3 to 4 min. or until bottoms of pork pieces are crisp and lightly browned. Turn pork pieces over; drizzle lightly with some of the remaining strained liquid. Cook until other side of pork pieces are crisp and lightly browned. Remove from skillet. Repeat, in batches if necessary, to cook remaining pork pieces.
  • 10

    Serve crispy carnitas plain, or as a filling for tacos. For tacos, serve with warmed tortillas, topped with pico de gallo, guacamole and/or diced avocados, shredded cheese and dollops of sour cream. Or, you can use the pork carnitas as a filling for your favorite burritos, quesadillas or enchiladas.

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