Ernesto’s Carnitas
My uncle, who lives in Sacramento CA, actually introduced me to this recipe. He was always raving about these delicious carnitas that he made, along with (allegedly) the BEST margaritas! Well, he was right- these carnitas are so beyond delicious, and easy too!
The crunchy brown sugar turns the pork into an insanely delicious candy, along with the caramelized slices of orange and lemon- it’s really a showstopper.
The recipe originates from a Mexican restaurant called Ernestos in Sacramento.
For this recipe I made homemade guacamole, refried beans, a little pico de Gallo, and some queso fresco. A 10/10 meal!
Ernesto's Carnitas
Yield: 10-12
Ingredients
- 1 (8 lb) pork shoulder, trimmed of excess fat & cut into 2-inch cubes
- 3-4 large oranges, thinly sliced
- 2 lemons, thinly sliced
- 6 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
- 5 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons of kosher salt
- Neutral cooking oil (avocado/canola/lard)
- 2 cups brown sugar (for caramelizing, adjust to taste)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300°F.
- In a very large Dutch oven or roasting pan, layer pork, oranges, lemon, garlic, bay leaves, and salt. Pour in oil until the pork is mostly covered (don’t worry if a few pieces peek out).
- Cover tightly with a lid or heavy foil. Roast for 3.5-4 hours, until the pork is very tender and shreds easily with a fork. (Check around the 3 hour mark.)
- When done, use a slotted spoon to transfer pork and citrus to a foil-lined sheet pan. Spoon some of the cooking juices over the top.
- Sprinkle evenly with brown sugar (start with 1 1/2 cups, add more if you like it sweeter).
- Place under broiler until sugar caramelizes and pork crisps, about 5–8 minutes. Watch closely — it can go from caramelized to burnt fast!
- Serve hot with warm tortillas and toppings of your choice.
