Tacos de Carnitas

Put the pork chunks, lard, halved onion, garlic, bay, cumin, oregano and salt in a wide heavy pot. Squeeze in the orange juice, then drop the spent orange halves in too. Pour in the milk.

💡 A wide pot matters more than a deep one: you want the pork in a single layer so every piece touches the bottom and browns at the end.

Add just enough water to almost cover the meat. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then lower it so the surface barely trembles. Cook uncovered, undisturbed, for about 1 hour 30 minutes.

💡 Don't stir. Stirring breaks the pieces up too early; you want them whole until the very end, then shredding into big soft threads.

The water will slowly boil away and the milk will curdle into little brown flecks — this is normal and delicious. Once the water is gone, the pork is now frying in the clear lard left behind.

Now turn the heat up to medium-high and let the pork fry in the lard for 10–15 minutes, turning the pieces once or twice, until the edges are deep brown and crisp but the inside stays juicy.

💡 This crisp-tender contrast — soft juicy strands with browned lacy edges — is what separates real carnitas from plain boiled pork. Watch it: it goes from perfect to dry in a couple of minutes.

Lift the pork out onto a board, fish out and discard the onion, garlic, bay and orange halves. Chop or pull the meat into a rough mix of shreds and small chunks.

Warm the tortillas on a dry hot pan, about 20 seconds a side, and keep them stacked under a cloth. Pile the carnitas onto doubled tortillas and top with raw onion, cilantro and a hard squeeze of lime.

💡 The raw onion, cilantro and lime are not garnish — the acid and freshness cut the richness of the fried pork, which is why every taquería sets them on the table.