Carnitas with Salsa Verde

Ingredients

• 3 lbs boneless pork butt (shoulder), rind removed
• 2 medium onions
• 0.5 cup cilantro, chopped
• kosher salt
• 1 medium orange, quartered
• 6 garlic cloves, split in half
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cinnamon stick, broken into 3–4 pieces
• 0.25 cup vegetable or olive oil
• 6 medium tomatillos, peeled and halved
• 2 jalapeno peppers, stems removed and halved lengthwise
• lime wedges
• crumbled queso fresco
• corn tortillas

Method

The pork braises low and slow in its own fat and the aromatics' rendered juices — this is pure braising, where gentle heat and steam break down collagen into gelatin whilst the meat stays moist. Cut the pork shoulder into 2-inch cubes and season generously with salt (about 1.5 teaspoons per pound). The salt penetrates slowly at low temperature, seasoning the meat throughout rather than sitting on the surface.

Heat your oven to 135°C. Layer the pork in a roasting pan with halved onions, split garlic cloves, bay leaves, cinnamon stick pieces, and orange quarters. Pour the oil over the top and seal tightly with foil — this traps steam and creates a moist environment where the collagen converts to gelatin rather than drying out. Braise for three and a half to four hours. The meat is ready when a fork slides through without resistance and the largest pieces begin to fall apart at the edges. You're after complete tenderness, not just softness — the difference is whether the connective tissue has fully dissolved.

Strain the braising liquid into a vessel and let it settle for five minutes. Skim the fat layer from the top and return it to the pork along with a spoonful or two of the braising liquid — this becomes the basting medium for the broiling step. Pull the meat into large, uneven chunks with two forks; keep some pieces ragged rather than uniformly shredded. Season with salt to taste.

For the salsa, simmer the tomatillos, remaining onion, remaining garlic, and jalapeños in water just to cover until completely soft (about eight minutes). The tomatillos should begin to split and the onion translucent. Blend until completely smooth — no flecks — then season with salt. This bright, sharp sauce cuts through the richness of the carnitas.

Set your broiler to high and position the rack about 10 centimetres from the element. Spread the pork in the roasting pan and place under the broiler. The fat sizzles and chars the meat's surface, developing colour and crust — this is flavour-building through meat-cookery|Maillard reaction. Stir every three minutes and return to the broiler. Repeat four or five times until the edges are dark brown and some pieces are crisped to near-brittleness. Serve with the salsa verde, lime wedges, crumbled queso fresco, and warm corn tortillas.