Spit Roasted Pork Carnitas
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 207kcal
Pork carnitas are one of the world's great culinary treasures, tender roasted pork shoulder beautifully crisped up and served with tortillas. The problem is that the normal cooking method calls for roasting the pork shoulder for hours in pork fat, which can make the dish really heavy. This version of carnitas avoids the extra fat by spit roasting the pork shoulder to get a crisp exterior while keeping the soft juicy texture inside. It's a fun and tasty way to make delicious pork carnitas.
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Ingredients
- 4 1/2 lbs pork shoulder (can also use a pork loin roast)
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground pepper
- 1/2 tsp ground chipotle
- 1 tsp Ancho chili
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp cumin
Topping
- 2 large bunches of cilantro
- 1 1/2 cups white onion , minced
- 1/4 cup lime juice
Instructions
- Start by making a rub out of the ancho chili, chipotle, smoked paprika, onion, garlic, cumin, pepper, and 1 1/2 tsp of salt. Mix the lemon, lime, and orange juices together.
- Place the pork in a large pan and pour the juices over the pork shoulder. Spread the rub on the shoulder, making sure to get as much as you can into all the nooks and crannies. Let the pork shoulder marinate for at least an hour.
- The ideal way to do this is to get everything ready a day ahead to the let the juices and spices infiltrate the shoulder.
- When you're ready to start cooking take the spit and insert in through the pork shoulder. Spit roasting works best when you skewer the meat lengthwise as close to the center as possible, to keep the weight balanced. It's very important to secure the meat using the large forks that come with your rotisserie.
- Roast the pork shoulder over low heat until it reaches an internal temperature of 165℉. A 4 1/2 pound shoulder will usually takes around 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
- While the pork is cooking mince the onion and cilantro. Once they're minced combine them with the lime juice and set aside.
- When the pork shoulder has finished cooking take it off the spit, wrap it up in foil, and let it rest for 15 to 20 minutes. When it's finished resting take it out and chop it up into bite-sized pieces. Mix in the remaining 1/2 tsp of salt with chopped up pork.
- Serve with warm tortillas, the cilantro mixture, and crumbled cojita cheese.
Nutrition
Calories: 207kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 83mg | Sodium: 565mg | Potassium: 515mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 315IU | Vitamin C: 12.1mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 1.8mg
