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Crispy Mexican Pulled Pork
Three and a half to four pounds of pork butt braise in a Dutch oven at 300 degrees with water, halved onion, lime juice, fresh orange, oregano, cumin, and bay leaves until the meat pulls apart easily. The braising liquid reduces around the pork as it cooks, concentrating into a sticky, citrus-scented glaze. A few minutes under the broiler crisps the shredded edges without drying out the interior. Serves six tucked into 18 warmed corn tortillas, with the browned bits providing all the seasoning needed.
Equipment
- Oven
- Dutch oven
- Stovetop
- Baking sheet
Ingredients
- 1 (3½- to 4-pound) boneless pork butt roast, fat trimmed to ⅛ inch, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 2 cups water
- 1 onion, peeled and halved
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 bay leaves
- Salt and pepper
- 1 orange, halved
- 18 (6-inch) corn tortillas, warmed
- 1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Combine pork, water, onion, lime juice, oregano, cumin, bay leaves, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper in Dutch oven (liquid should just barely cover meat). Juice orange into bowl and remove any seeds (you should have about ⅓ cup juice). Add juice and spent orange halves to pot.
Instructions
- 1Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. In a Dutch oven, combine the pork, water, onion, lime juice, oregano, cumin, bay leaves, salt, pepper, orange juice, and the spent orange halves. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.
- 2Cover the pot and transfer it to the oven. Cook for about 2 hours, flipping the pork pieces once, until the meat is very soft and easily falls apart when tested with a fork.
- 3Remove the pot from the oven and preheat your broiler. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the pork to a large bowl. Discard the onion, orange halves, and bay leaves from the cooking liquid, but don't skim off the fat. The fat helps crisp the meat later.
- 4Place the pot over high heat. Simmer the liquid for 8 to 12 minutes, stirring frequently, until it reduces to about 1 cup. It should be thick and syrupy enough that a spatula leaves a wide trail when dragged through it.
- 5Using two forks, pull each piece of pork in half. Fold the reduced cooking liquid into the meat, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
- 6Spread the pork in an even layer on a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet. Place the baking sheet on the lower-middle oven rack. Broil for 5 to 8 minutes until the top of the meat browns and the edges turn slightly crispy.
- 7Flip the meat pieces with a wide metal spatula. Broil for another 5 to 8 minutes to brown the other side. Serve the hot pulled pork with warm corn tortillas.
Notes
- Storage: Keep leftover pork in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- Reheat: Warm the pork in a skillet over medium heat to restore the crispy edges before serving.
- Prep: You can braise the pork a day ahead. Store the meat and reduced liquid separately in the fridge, then combine and broil just before serving.
Recipe Details
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