Slow Cooked Carnitas

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Ingredients

• 4 pounds pork shoulder, cut into 2-inch pieces
• Kosher salt
• 2 pounds lard
• Juice and squeezed carcasses of 1 orange
• 1/2 yellow onion, peeled and cut in half
• 1 12-ounce bottle of Mexican Coca-Cola
• 4 peeled cloves of garlic, optionally crushed
• 2-4 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon toasted cumin seeds
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 5-ounce can of evaporated milk

Instructions

1. Season pork generously with kosher salt and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
2. In a large Dutch oven, combine lard, orange juice and carcasses, onion, Coca-Cola, garlic, bay leaves, cumin seeds, and oregano. Bring to a simmer.
3. Add pork to the Dutch oven and stir to coat in fat. Bring to a simmer.
4. Braise in a 300 degree Fahrenheit oven, uncovered, for 1.5 hours, removing every 30 minutes to stir.
5. After 1.5 hours, add evaporated milk and return to the oven for another 1.5 hours.
6. Shred pork and chill overnight.
7. Pan fry shredded pork in reserved cooking fat or broil until brown and crisp.
8. Serve with corn tortillas, diced onions, cilantro, and lime wedges.
9. For flautas, roll shredded pork in small corn tortillas and fry until golden brown and crisp. Top with crema, diced onions, cotija cheese, and cilantro.
10. For nachos, layer chips, cheese, and carnitas and bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit until cheese is melted and carnitas are sizzling. Top with radishes, peppers, pico de gallo, and guacamole.
11. For carnitas cubanos, layer black forest ham, carnitas, pickle chips, and Swiss cheese on King's Hawaiian slider rolls. Toast in the oven until heated through and melty.

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