Equipment
Ingredients
Carnitas
- 500 g pork belly, skinless, cut into 5cm cubes
- 1000 g pork shoulder, boneless, cut into 5cm cubes
- 1 white onion, quartered
- 6 garlic, peeled and lightly crushed
- 1 navel orange, halved
- 3 g dried mexican oregano
- 4 g ground cumin
- 15 g kosher salt
- 250 ml water
Whipped Avocado Butter
- 1 hass avocado, very ripe, pitted and peeled
- 100 g unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
- 15 ml lime juice, freshly squeezed
- 3 g kosher salt
Assembly
- 12 corn tortillas
- 1 white onion, finely diced
- 30 g fresh cilantro, finely chopped, stems included
- 2 lime, cut into wedges
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 572 kcal
- Protein
- 21 g
- Carbohydrates
- 18 g
- Fat
- 47 g
- Fiber
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 3 g
- Sodium
- 667 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 18 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 20 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 5 g
- Cholesterol
- 107 mg
- Potassium
- 537 mg
- Calcium
- 66 mg
- Iron
- 2.0 mg
- Magnesium
- 46 mg
- Phosphorus
- 303 mg
- Zinc
- 3.2 mg
- Vitamin A
- 71 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 15 mg
- Vitamin D
- 1.4 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 1.0 mg
- Vitamin K
- 13 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.5 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 1.0 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.88 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.40 mg
- Niacin
- 5.9 mg
- Folate
- 28 mcg
- Water
- 157 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat your oven to 150C or 300F.
Place the pork belly, pork shoulder, quartered onion, garlic, oregano, cumin, and salt into a Dutch oven. Squeeze the juice from the orange halves over the meat, then toss the squeezed rinds into the pot. Pour the water over the top.
Place the Dutch oven on the stovetop over medium-high heat and bring the liquid to a simmer.
Cover the Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid and transfer it to the preheated oven. Braise for 2.5 hours, or until the pork is extremely tender and falls apart under light pressure.
While the pork braises, prepare the avocado butter. Combine the ripe avocado flesh, softened unsalted butter, lime juice, and salt in a food processor. Process until completely smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary.
Remove the Dutch oven from the oven and carefully transfer the pork pieces to a rimmed baking sheet using a slotted spoon. Discard the orange rinds, onion, and garlic. Reserve the braising liquid.
Using two forks, shred the pork into bite-sized pieces. Skim 60ml of fat from the top of the reserved braising liquid and drizzle it evenly over the shredded pork.
Adjust the oven setting to broil, reaching approximately 260C or 500F. Place the baking sheet under the broiler for 5 to 8 minutes, watching closely, until the edges of the pork are deeply browned and crispy.
Heat a dry skillet over medium-high heat. Toast the corn tortillas for 30 seconds on each side until they are hot, pliable, and slightly charred.
To serve, spread a generous layer of the avocado butter on each warm tortilla. Top with a portion of the crispy carnitas, and garnish heavily with diced white onion and chopped cilantro. Serve immediately with fresh lime wedges on the side.
Chef's Notes
- Pork belly provides the essential fat content that traditional carnitas achieve by simmering in large vats of pure lard. The rendered fat from the belly coats the leaner shoulder meat, ensuring every bite is rich.
- Do not skip crisping the meat under the broiler. The contrast between the meltingly tender interior and the caramelized, crispy edges is the absolute hallmark of excellent carnitas.
- The whipping of the avocado butter incorporates air, which not only lightens the rich texture but also helps slow down oxidation slightly. Still, make it as close to serving time as possible for the brightest color.
- Using the spent orange rinds during the braise imparts a deep, slightly bitter citrus oil aroma that balances the intense richness of the pork fat.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Store meat and avocado butter in separate airtight containers. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the avocado butter to prevent oxidation.
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze cooked pork in its braising liquid and fat to retain moisture. Do not freeze the avocado butter or fresh garnishes.
Reheating: Reheat pork in a skillet over medium heat until crispy, adding a splash of water if dry.
Troubleshooting
Pork is dry and tough instead of tender.
Cause: Liquid evaporated during the braise due to a loose lid, or the oven temperature was too high.
Fix: Toss the shredded meat with extra reserved braising liquid and a splash of warm chicken broth before crisping.
Prevention: Ensure your Dutch oven has a tight-fitting lid, or place a layer of foil under the lid to seal in moisture.
Avocado butter splits or looks curdled.
Cause: The butter was too cold when blended with the moisture-rich avocado and lime juice.
Fix: Add a tablespoon of very hot water to the food processor and blend continuously until the emulsion comes back together.
Prevention: Ensure the butter is thoroughly softened to room temperature before processing.
Corn tortillas break or crack when folded.
Cause: The tortillas were not heated sufficiently or were allowed to cool too much before serving.
Fix: Reheat the broken tortillas briefly with a few drops of water in a hot skillet.
Prevention: Toast tortillas until fully pliable and keep them wrapped in a clean, damp kitchen towel to retain steam and heat.
Cultural Context
Carnitas, meaning little meats, originated in the Mexican state of Michoacan. Traditionally, the pork is slowly confited in large copper pots filled with bubbling lard, often flavored with citrus, cola, or milk to aid caramelization. This home-friendly adaptation uses the natural fat of pork belly to mimic the luxurious texture of the traditional confit method, while incorporating modern culinary elements like the bright, rich avocado butter to complement the classic cilantro and onion garnishes.
