Carnitas

As I write this, pork has become my recent favorite meat. I especially love pork tenderloin because it remains tender when pan-seared and finished in the oven. It is easy to prepare and comes out delicious every time. For this recipe, I've used pork shoulder primarily, but in a pinch I've used pork tenderloin when I have it available. Both cuts work well. My favorite way to eat carnitas is in a rice bowl: white rice on the bottom, layer on the carnitas, pickled red onions (thinly sliced red onions, marinated in lime juice for one+ hour), sliced avocado, chopped cilantro, fresh salsa or pico de gallo, and sour cream. Delicious!!

Carnitas

2 pounds boneless pork shoulder, trimmed of excess fat, or pork tenderloin
1½ tablespoons fine sea salt
1½ teaspoons ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 small onion, diced
6 garlic cloves, minced
4 tablespoons lime juice (from two limes)
1/2 cup orange juice (from two oranges)
2 bay leaves

Pat the pork dry with a paper towel and cut into 4 large pieces. Sprinkle pork on all sides with salt, black pepper, oregano and cumin. Set aside for now. Place the diced onion, minced garlic, lime juice, orange juice and bay leaves in an Instant Pot or slow cooker bowl. Add pork and nestle it into the onion/juice mixture. Slow cook on high heat for six hours, or use pressure cook (High) for 50 minutes. When pork is done cooking, use two large forks to shred it.
A traditional way to serve carnitas is with tortillas and traditional toppings like shredded lettuce, salsa and sour cream. I like it in a rice bowl, as stated in my intro above.