Traditionally carnitas are braised/boiled then fried to get that crispy exterior and tender interior. The way I make them is a bit more "mom life" friendly since I use my tabletop roaster (you can use a crock pot too) then broil them right before serving. Cooking the carnitas this way frees up my time by letting it cook all day in a more controlled environment then having to watch it on the stove top. Whenever I make this, our children love to walk in the door from school and smell dinner cooking, it's a family favorite for sure. This recipe is also a great crowd pleaser, as we have made this on numerous occasions for various get togethers. The recipe is very simple as it should be, let the tender pork flavor shine like it should and not be covered up by too many ingredients. This is one of the times that you shouldn't alter the recipe before trying it in its fullest.
One of the things we always make sure to have on hand for this dinner is fresh limes to squeeze over the top of the carnitas when serving. The fresh citrus really brings out the flavors of the meat. Some nice warmed (slightly charred) flour tortillas are a must for this dish. For those of us who can't have wheat, I have found a Casava flour tortilla from La Tortilla Factory that we can eat that holds up very well and has great flavor. Another one of my favorite things to have with this dinner is charred Mexican Green Onions. Just a light toss with canola oil, salt & pepper and broil on high for a few minutes, making sure to rotate the green onion at least once. Such simple ingredients that give bold flavor. On a side note, this is actually one of my favorite snacks to have. I'll do up a batch of the green onions and snack on them, our daughter loves them too.
We have found that we need to cook an 8lb. pork butt most of the time for this recipe because the family loves it so much. The kids who have to bring lunch to school due to their food allergies even love to take this for leftovers for lunch! Ooh, I said that word again, leftovers. If there happens to be anything left, it does freeze very well for a later time, but most often it doesn't last past the second day. My hubby A and teen C love to make it for breakfast with scrambled eggs for breakfast tacos. I would love to hear from those who tries this recipe and their review of it. Or someone who has had this at our house before and their thoughts. Check under the "Recipe" tab for it.
Kim
