Slow-Roasted Carnitas with Salsa Verde
 
 
Makes 4-6 servings
Ingredients
Slow-roasted carnitas:
  • 3 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into 2" pieces
  • 1 tablespoon sea salt
  • ½ onion, halved
  • 1 orange, quartered
  • 4 garlic cloves, halved lengthwise
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 cinnamon stick, broken into 2 pieces
  • ¼ cup avocado oil
Salsa verde:
  • 1½ pounds tomatillos (husked removed), rinsed and quartered
  • ½ onion, halved
  • 2 fresh jalapeños, halved lengthwise (remove seeds for a milder salsa)
  • 2 garlic cloves
Instructions
Make the slow-roasted carnitas:
  1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
  2. Season pork with salt and toss to coat. Place in a single layer in a 9"x13" baking dish.
  3. Squeeze orange juice over pork. Nestle squeezed orange pieces, onion, garlic, bay leaves and cinnamon stick in the baking dish. Drizzle with avocado oil and cover baking dish tightly with foil.
  4. Bake for 3½ hours or until meat is fork tender.
  5. Remove from the oven and discard orange pieces, onion, garlic, bay leaves and cinnamon stick. Transfer pork to a large bowl and strain liquid through a fine-mesh sieve. Skim off any fat that has risen to the top and transfer to a small bowl. Transfer remaining liquid to a medium sauce pan.
  6. Transfer pork back to baking dish and shred.
Make the salsa verde:
  1. Add tomatillos, onion, jalapeños and garlic to pan with reserved cooking liquid and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.
  2. Remove vegetables and about 1 cup liquid from pot and purée. Add more liquid to thin out salsa, if desired. Season with salt to taste. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to use.
Assemble the dish:
  1. Preheat broiler.
  2. Drizzle 6 tablespoons reserved fat over shredded pork.
  3. Broil for 10 minutes, stirring halfway through. Serve with salsa verde, as well as corn tortillas, finely diced onion and cilantro, and quick pickled onions, if desired.
Recipe by Two of a Kind at http://www.twoofakindcooks.com/slow-roasted-carnitas-salsa-verde/