Name: Carnitas (Slow-Braised Pork)
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 330 min
Total time: 360 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1 kg pork shoulder or neck (boneless and skinless, in one piece); 2 tsp salt; 0.5 tsp black pepper, freshly ground; 2 tsp dried oregano; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 large onion (cut into wedges); 4 cloves garlic (crushed); 0.5 jalapeño (deseeded and chopped, optional); 2 bay leaves; 1 orange (juice, about 100 ml); 2 limes (juice of one, the other cut into wedges for serving); 1 tbsp neutral oil (for frying); 12 small corn tortillas (warm)

Preparation

Pat the meat dry and rub all over with the mixture of salt, pepper, oregano and cumin.
Put the onion, garlic, jalapeño and bay leaves in the slow cooker, set the meat on top fat side up and pour over the juice of the orange and one lime.
Cover and cook on high for 5 to 6 hours or on low for 8 to 10 hours, until the meat falls apart when touched.
Remove the meat, let it cool briefly and shred it with two forks. Skim the fat from the cooking juices and keep the juices to season the meat. Remove the bay leaves.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a high heat and spread out the meat in two or three batches without overcrowding the pan. Drizzle with a little of the cooking juice and fry until the liquid has evaporated and the underside is golden brown and crisp. Alternatively, brown the meat with a little juice on a tray for 5 to 7 minutes under a hot oven grill.
Before serving, spoon a little more cooking juice over the meat and serve hot in tortillas with lime wedges.

Drink with it

Pale lager · excellent match
Mexican lager, ice cold, with a lime wedge
Fizz and cold cut through the pork fat, and the lime picks up the citrus juice from the braising pot.
Pils or Helles: What's the Difference?
Tequila blanco · excellent match
Tequila blanco, neat in small sips or as a highball with grapefruit soda and ice
Green, peppery agave and citrus notes cut the richness of the crisped meat and mirror the orange and lime.
Tequila Blanco, Reposado, and Añejo: what aging changes
Aged tequila · excellent match
Reposado, neat at room temperature
Vanilla and wood notes pick up the caramelised edges and the orange.
Mezcal · good match
Mezcal joven, neat in small sips, with an orange slice
Smoke and herbs meet the roasted crust and the fat, while orange and lime lift it from the palate.
Tequila and Mezcal: What's the Difference?
Red wine · good match
Garnacha, Pinot Noir or Gamay, lightly chilled
Plenty of fruit and soft tannins carry the tender, caramelised meat without overwhelming the orange note.
Which wine pairs with food? A simple approach to choosing

Preparation

Pat the meat dry and rub all over with the mixture of salt, pepper, oregano and cumin.
Put the onion, garlic, jalapeño and bay leaves in the slow cooker, set the meat on top fat side up and pour over the juice of the orange and one lime.
Cover and cook on high for 5 to 6 hours or on low for 8 to 10 hours, until the meat falls apart when touched.
Remove the meat, let it cool briefly and shred it with two forks. Skim the fat from the cooking juices and keep the juices to season the meat. Remove the bay leaves.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a high heat and spread out the meat in two or three batches without overcrowding the pan. Drizzle with a little of the cooking juice and fry until the liquid has evaporated and the underside is golden brown and crisp. Alternatively, brown the meat with a little juice on a tray for 5 to 7 minutes under a hot oven grill.
Before serving, spoon a little more cooking juice over the meat and serve hot in tortillas with lime wedges.

Drink with it

Pale lager · excellent match
Mexican lager, ice cold, with a lime wedge
Fizz and cold cut through the pork fat, and the lime picks up the citrus juice from the braising pot.
Pils or Helles: What's the Difference?
Tequila blanco · excellent match
Tequila blanco, neat in small sips or as a highball with grapefruit soda and ice
Green, peppery agave and citrus notes cut the richness of the crisped meat and mirror the orange and lime.
Tequila Blanco, Reposado, and Añejo: what aging changes
Aged tequila · excellent match
Reposado, neat at room temperature
Vanilla and wood notes pick up the caramelised edges and the orange.
Mezcal · good match
Mezcal joven, neat in small sips, with an orange slice
Smoke and herbs meet the roasted crust and the fat, while orange and lime lift it from the palate.
Tequila and Mezcal: What's the Difference?
Red wine · good match
Garnacha, Pinot Noir or Gamay, lightly chilled
Plenty of fruit and soft tannins carry the tender, caramelised meat without overwhelming the orange note.
Which wine pairs with food? A simple approach to choosing

Carnitas (Slow-Braised Pork)

Preparation

Drink with it

Mexican lager, ice cold, with a lime wedge

Tequila blanco, neat in small sips or as a highball with grapefruit soda and ice

Reposado, neat at room temperature

Mezcal joven, neat in small sips, with an orange slice

Garnacha, Pinot Noir or Gamay, lightly chilled

This pairs well too.

Chicken Enchiladas

Chicken Fajitas with Peppers

Tacos al Pastor with Pineapple

Tinga de Pollo (Chipotle Chicken Tacos)

Carnitas (Slow-Braised Pork)

Preparation

Drink with it

Mexican lager, ice cold, with a lime wedge

Tequila blanco, neat in small sips or as a highball with grapefruit soda and ice

Reposado, neat at room temperature

Mezcal joven, neat in small sips, with an orange slice

Garnacha, Pinot Noir or Gamay, lightly chilled

This pairs well too.

Chicken Enchiladas

Chicken Fajitas with Peppers

Tacos al Pastor with Pineapple

Tinga de Pollo (Chipotle Chicken Tacos)