Not only did I totally know the answer to almost everything on my Automata final, today Vy and I made Carnitas. They were rapturous, and I want to share them with you:
Carnitas:
Pork 1 (3.5 to 4 lb.) boneless pork butt, fat cap trimmed to 1/8 inch thick, cut into 2-inch chunks. Table salt (or kosher) and ground black pepper 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 small onion, peeled and halved 2 bay leaves 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 lime (squeezed) 1 orange, squeezed and halved 2 cups water
Garnish flour tortillas lime wedges minced white onion fresh cilantro leaves
1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Combine pork, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, cumin, onion halves, bay leaves, oregano, lime juice, and water in large Dutch over (liquid should just barely cover meat). Juice orange into medium bowl and remove any seeds (you should have about 1/2 cup of juice). Add juice and spent orange halves to pot. Bring mixture to simmer over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Cover pot and transfer to over; cook until meat is soft and falls apart when prodded with fork, about 2 hours, flipping pieces of meat once during cooking.
2. Remove pot from oven and turn oven to broil. Using slotted spoon, transfer pork to bowl; remove orange halves, onion and bay leaves from cooking liquid and discard (do not skim fat from liquid). Place pot over high heat (use caution, as handles will be very hot) and simmer liquid, stirring frequently, until thick and syrupy (heatsafe spatula should leave wide trail when dragged through glaze), 8 to 12 minutes. You should have about 1 cup reduced liquid.
3. Using two forks, pull each piece of pork in half. Fold in reduced liquid; season with salt and pepper to taste. Spread pork in even layer on wire rack set inside rimmed baking sheet or on broiler pan (meat should cover almost entire surface of rack or broiler pan). Place baking sheet on lower-middle rack and broil until top of meat is well browned (but not charred) and edges are slightly crisp, 5 to 8 minutes. Using wide metal spatula, flip pieces of meat and continue to broil until top is well browned and edges are slightly crisp, 5 to 8 minutes longer. Serve carnitas immediately after cooking in warm tortillas and with garnishes.
oh barf 