Smoky Pork Carnitas

Active time: 30 minutes

Total time: 4 hours and 30 minutes

Yield: Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

1 (3 1/2- to 4-pound) boneless pork shoulder, excess fat trimmed, cut into 4 large chunks

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 large yellow onion, coarsely chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano

12 ounces Mexican beer

2 cups fresh orange juice

1/3 cup chopped chipotle chiles in adobo sauce

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon brown sugar

Accompaniments

Warm flour or corn tortillas

Guacamole

Salsa

Fresh cilantro

Sliced green onions or chopped red onions

Sliced jalapeno peppers

Directions

Generously season the meat with salt and pepper.

Heat the oven to 300 degrees or prepare the grill for indirect cooking over medium-low heat, 275 to 300 degrees.

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat on the stovetop. Add the pork and brown on all sides, in batches if necessary, for about 8 minutes. Remove the pork and pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat.

Add the onion, garlic, cumin, paprikas and oregano. Saute until aromatic, about 1 minute, scraping up any brown bits. Add the beer, orange juice, chipotles in adobo, lime juice and brown sugar.

Nestle the pork in the liquid. Bring to a simmer, then cover the pot. Transfer the pot to the oven (or to indirect low heat on the grill).

Braise the pork until fork-tender, 3 1/2 to 4 hours, turning the meat every hour or so.

Remove the pork from the braising liquid and transfer it to a cutting board to cool slightly. When cool enough to handle, shred the meat.

Place the meat in a baking dish or grill pan.

Boil the braising sauce over medium-high heat until reduced by about one-third, 8 to 10 minutes, skimming the fat occasionally. Strain the sauce and drizzle some of it over the shredded pork (the pork should be lightly coated but not sopping wet).

Broil or grill the pork over indirect high heat until the meat begins to caramelize, 2 to 4 minutes.

To serve, spoon some of the pork in the center of a tortilla. Add the toppings. Roll up and eat.