Carnitas

This is a great recipe for Carnitas from Cook's Illustrated. It's very easy and comes out perfect. Just like the carnitas you would get from a good quality Mexican restaurant. We've always used vegetable oil. That much peanut oil would be pricey.

Carnitas

1 (3-pound) boneless pork shoulder roast (Boston butt), trimmed and cut into 2-inch chunks

1 teaspoon ground cumin

Salt

4 cups peanut oil*

¼ cup water or Coca-Cola

2 cinnamon sticks

2 bay leaves

1 lime, halved

Ground black pepper

Garnishes

12 (6-inch) corn tortillas, warmed

Fresh cilantro sprigs

Sour cream

Minced white or red onion

Lime wedges

Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 375 degrees. Pat the pork dry with paper towels, season with the cumin and 1 teaspoon salt, and transfer to a large Dutch oven. Add the oil, water, cinnamon, and bay leaves. Juice the lime directly into the pot, then add the spent lime halves.

Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat, then transfer to the oven and cook, uncovered, until the edges of the pork are well browned and the meat falls apart when prodded with a fork, about 2½ hours.

Remove the pot from the oven and, using a slotted spoon, transfer the pork to a colander set over a bowl; let drain about 10 minutes (discard the oil). Shred the pork using two forks and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with war corn tortillas, cilantro, sour cream, onion, and lime wedges.

*Vegetable oil can be substituted for the peanut oil, but peanut has better flavor