Pork Carnitas, the stuff addictions are made of!

Pork Carnitas is this delectable, flavorful, melt in your mouth dish that is regularly served at the finer Mexican restaurants. If the Chef is worth his salt you will return again, and again to partake of the addictive stuff. El Tequileno is our local haunt, and after having to make many trips to get my fix, the owner told me the secret was orange juice. I searched until I found a recipe that included orange juice and found this one on About.com. I have heard that milk has the same tenderizing effect, but to my preference the citrus adds more flavor.




Carnitas
Adapted from About.com

3 lbs pork shoulder or butt
5 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 bay leaf
1 onion, peeled and quartered
3 cups orange juice
Broth to cover meat
Lard or oil for frying (Lard adds more flavor)
Salt to taste

In a large saucepan, brown the pork on both sides. Pour in the orange juice, then add broth to cover meat. Add in garlic, bay leaf and the onion. Bring the liquid to a boil then turn it down to a simmer for 3 hours.

Remove pork from liquid and pull apart into chunks, discard any excess fat or bones. You will be amazed at the tenderness of the meat! Lightly salt pork chunks. Heat lard in a large frying pan and fry the chunks of pork for 2-3 minutes until brown and crispy on the outside.

Serve Immediately.

We served ours with frijoles and Spanish rice, with homemade tortillas.