Pork, beef & lamb

Pork Carnitas

Name: Pork Carnitas
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 3 h 5 min
Total time: 3 h 25 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1kg trimmed (buy ~1.2kg) pork shoulder, boneless, 5cm chunks; 2 (300g) onions, sliced; 6 cloves (30g) garlic, smashed; 200ml orange juice, freshly squeezed, plus the zest of 1 orange; 30ml lime juice; 15g (1 tbsp) chipotle paste; 6g (2 tsp) ground cumin; 3g (1 tbsp) dried oregano; 2 leaves bay; 6g salt; 1g black pepper; 10ml rapeseed oil; 250ml water

Pork shoulder slow-cooked with orange, cumin, oregano and a little chipotle, then shredded and crisped in its own fat and kept juicy with the reduced cooking liquid.

makes 17 blocks, about 55p each

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Time: 3 hr 25 min20 min prep · 3 hr 5 min cook
Makes: 17 blocks
Cost per blockPer block: 55p
Calories per blockCalories: 102 kcal
Spice

Ingredients

Batch size

blocks

1kg trimmed (buy ~1.2kg)pork shoulder, boneless, 5cm chunks
2 (300g)onions, sliced
6 cloves (30g)garlic, smashed
200mlorange juice, freshly squeezed, plus the zest of 1 orange
30mllime juice
15g (1 tbsp)chipotle paste
6g (2 tsp)ground cumin
3g (1 tbsp)dried oregano
2 leavesbay
6gsalt
1gblack pepper
10mlrapeseed oil
250mlwater

Allergens: none of the 14 major allergens in the ingredients as listed. Check the labels on stock cubes, sauces and pastes, as brands vary.

Nutrition

estimated

	1 block	3 blocks
Energy	102 kcal	306 kcal
Protein	12.2g	36.6g
Carbs	3.5g	10.5g
Fat	4.3g	12.9g
Fibre	0.6g	1.8g
Salt	0.48g	1.44g

Method

Step 1: Season the pork with the cumin, oregano, salt and pepper and brown it in the oil in a casserole over a medium-high heat in two batches. (12 min)
Step 2: Add the onions, garlic, orange zest and juice, lime juice, chipotle, bay and water. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook at 150°C fan, or on a low hob, until the pork falls apart. (2 hours 30 min)
Step 3: Lift out the pork. Spoon off the fat and keep it. Remove the bay and boil the liquid until reduced to about 300ml. (10 min)
Step 4: Shred the pork and fry in batches in 2 tbsp of the fat over a high heat, without stirring, until crisp underneath. (5 min per batch)
Step 5: Toss all the pork with the reduced liquid and onions.
Step 6: Cool and freeze in 70g blocks.

Hotter: add another tbsp of chipotle paste with the orange juice.

Serve it

Tortillas with salsa and coriander · A burrito bowl with rice and beans · Jacket potato and soured cream

Nutrition (estimated)
	kcal	protein	carbs	fat	fibre	salt
Per block	102	12.2g	3.5g	4.3g	0.6g	0.48g
Per 3 blocks	306	36.6g	10.5g	12.9g	1.8g	1.44g

Cook’s notes

Slow cooker: brown the pork, then cook with everything else from step 2 on Low for 8 hours. Reduce the liquid on the hob.
For crisp edges again, fry the reheated blocks in a hot pan, in leftover fat kept in the fridge if you like.

Serve it

Tortillas with salsa and coriander · A burrito bowl with rice and beans · Jacket potato and soured cream.

Freeze, reheat and serve

Freeze: Cool it within two hours, portion it into 70g blocks in a silicone tray, then bag and label them. It keeps for 3 months.
Reheat: Microwave 3 blocks, covered, for 1 minute, stir, then heat for another 1 to 2 minutes until piping hot all the way through. Or warm them in a pan with a splash of water. Never refreeze thawed blocks.
A portion: 3 blocks (210g) make a dinner for one adult: about 306 kcal and 36.6g protein before rice, bread or potatoes.

Pork Carnitas questions

Why use orange juice?

The orange juice balances the rich meat with gentle acidity, and its sugars caramelise at the end, giving the crisp edges their colour. Bottled orange juice works if you have no fresh oranges.

Can I skip the crisping step?

You can, and it will still taste good as tender pulled pork. Crisping some of the pork in its fat is what makes it carnitas, though, so it is worth the extra 15 minutes.

Can I use pork loin?

Loin is too lean and turns dry over a long cook. Shoulder, also sold as pork collar or shoulder steaks, has the fat this dish needs.