The Best Ever Carnitas

Sheri-BDB's Note:

This is an adopted recipe from Mean Chef. This looks really great to me and can't wait to try it, as I really enjoy Carnitas. Mean Chef word's are: The special ingredient is Pepsi and this is fabulous. you can use carnitas in tortillas, serve like BBQ pork or great at a picinic on rolls. Recipe from Rio Bravo

• Total Time: 2 hrs 30 mins
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

• 3 lbs pork butt or 3 lbs pork shoulder
• 1 orange, quartered
• 1 teaspoon garlic, chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup Pepsi, plus
• more Pepsi, as needed
• 3/4 cup oil or 3/4 cup shortening

Fuego spice mix yields 1 cup use 1T

• 1/4 cup paprika
• 2 teaspoons cayenne
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 teaspoons white pepper
• 2 tablespoons ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons garlic granules
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 tablespoons oregano

Agua Negra Marinade yields 3 1/4 cups use 1 cup

• 1 cup soy sauce
• 2 cups pineapple juice
• 2 tablespoons cumin
• 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice

Directions:

1. Fuego spice mix (Fuego Spice Mix): Combine all ingredients, mixing well.
2. Store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
3. Agua Negra Marinade (Fuego Spice Mix): combine all ingredients with a whisk.
4. Stores in the refrigerator for 2 days.
5. Carnitas: Trim away excess fat from pork and cut into 3 inch cubes.
6. Dust meat with Fuego spice mix and press to adhere well.
7. Squeeze juice from oranges into an airtight nonreactive container, add peels, garlic,pepper, pepsi and Aqua Negra marinade- mix to combine well.
8. Add seasoned meat and refrigerate overnight.
9. Remove meat from the marinade (reserve marinade) the next day when you are ready to cook.
10. Heat oil/shortening in a large heavy skillet over high heat until fat is smoking; add pork and brown completely on all sides- about 15 minutes.
11. Add reserved marinade and simmer for about 2 hours or until pork is tender and dark brown- add additional Pepsi as needed while cooking to keep meat covered.
12. Remove meat and chop into 3/4 inch pieces.

Reviews

[Tinks599]

This was very good...and I had so much meat left I cleaned it the following day (wearing Nitrile gloves makes this much quicker, easier and efficient...and less yucky!). I took some of the congealed broth, and a pan and heated it up in the skillet until the meat was brown and crispy. It just went from very good to frickin' awesome! I highly recommend this as a make ahead and heat it up in a skillet...wow!

[SouthernFriedMama]

This was very good and real easy to make.

[MGRoosevelt]

Can anyone give me advice? Thank you for this DELISH recipe, but I think I may have messed up on something. When I brown the pork in the fat, I then added the marinade to the same pot. Whilst it tasted fantastic, it seemed really oily. Am I supposed to brown in another pot, and then add to a new pot with the marinade? Regardless, it was still delicious. Thank you.