If you’ve got an immersion circulator, this is by far the easiest way to do carnitas.
While it takes a long time, it really could not be easier, and it’s completely foolproof. Plus, I think this produces a better end product than doing it the “traditional” way in a pot.
Ingredients
- 2 kg boneless pork shoulder (butt), large pockets of fat removed, cut into roughly 4 cm thick slabs
- 1 medium onion, quartered
- 6 cloves garlic, peeled and lightly crushed
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 orange, quartered
- Salt
Method
Heat a water bath to 74 °C (165 °F).
In a large vacuum bag, add the pork, onion, garlic, cinnamon, and bay. Squeeze the juice of the orange quarters into the bag, and add the squeezed orange quarters as well. Seal and vacuum pack the bag.
Cook the pork in the preheated water bath until it’s tender, about 24 hours.
If you’re not planning to eat the carnitas immediately, shock the finished carnitas in an ice bath to quickly chill it. Remove the pork and discard the other components. Refrigerate or freeze the pork until you want to serve it.
To finish the carnitas, start by preheating a broiler to high.
Then shred the slabs of pork into bite-size pieces onto a baking tray, and arrange them into a single layer. (It may be necessary to do multiple batches.) Broil the pork until it’s just crisp and brown on the edges, a few minutes.
Serve it immediately.