Pork shoulder smoked over hickory, then braised in fresh-squeezed orange, onion, garlic, and dried guajillo until tender, and crisped hard in a screaming-hot cast-iron skillet. Built for tacos, tostadas, and a crowd.
Gluten-FreeDairy-FreeHigh ProteinMake-Ahead
Best for: taco night and feeding a crowd. Serves about 14. An all-day cook, mostly unattended. Pairs with the skillet pinto beans, which were built for exactly this.
Smoked Carnitas — Recipe
Prep
10 min
Cook
~8 hr
Total
~8 hr
Serves
14
Equipment
Pellet grill / smoker (hickory)
Dutch oven
Cast-iron skillet
Ingredients
Pork shoulder
5.25 lb pork shoulder, bone-in or boneless
3.5 tbsp kosher salt
3.5 tbsp coarse ground pepper
3.5 tbsp paprika
1.75 tbsp cumin
1.75 tbsp Mexican oregano
1.75 tbsp chili powder
3.5 tbsp yellow mustard
Braising liquid
5.25–7 dried guajillo peppers
3.5 oranges
1.75 red onion, roughly chopped
7 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
3.5 bay leaves
1.75 tsp salt
3.5 cups water
Instructions
Preheat the pellet smoker to 225°F. Combine the kosher salt, pepper, paprika, chili powder, and cumin in a spice shaker.
Coat the pork shoulder in a thin layer of mustard, then liberally with the rub. Smoke for 4 hours.
Remove the pork and raise the smoker to 350°F. Cut out the bone and cut the meat into 2-inch cubes.
Place the pork in a Dutch oven. Squeeze in the orange juice; add the guajillos, onion, garlic, and bay leaves. Add water, leaving 1–2 inches of headroom. Cover and return to the smoker. Cook about 3 hours.
Remove the Dutch oven and raise the smoker to its highest setting. Put a large cast-iron skillet inside, cover, and let it heat 10–15 minutes.
Drain the pork in a colander to shed excess liquid. (Good time to warm beans and rice.)
Once the grill is piping hot, add the pork to the skillet. Let it sit and crisp about 5 minutes, then break it up and turn to crisp more. Continue to your desired crispiness.
Serve with rice, beans, and tortillas. Garnish with onion and cilantro. Makes an excellent tostada too.
Notes from experience
Drain the braised pork well before it hits the skillet — surface moisture is the enemy of crisping. The skillet has to be genuinely ripping hot; carnitas crisp by contact, so resist stirring until the underside has set.
Storage & reheating
Refrigerate up to 4 days; freezes well. Reheat and re-crisp in a hot skillet rather than the microwave. Save a little of the braising liquid to add back so it doesn't dry out.
Dietary note
Naturally gluten-free and dairy-free. Confirm your chili powder blend has no added wheat if that matters.
