SMOKED PORK CARNITAS RECIPES

Steps:

• To make the salsa: Place tomatillos on a large baking sheet, cut side down. Transfer baking sheet to broiler set on high and cook until tomatillos are completely soft and lightly charred. Remove the baking sheet from oven and let cool slightly. Transfer tomatillos to the jar of a blender and add in cilantro, water, garlic, and jalapeño. Puree until smooth. Pour salsa into a small bowl and stir in onion. Thin salsa to with additional water if necessary and season with sugar and salt to taste. Transfer to an airtight container and place in refrigerator until ready to use.
• To Make the rub: In a small bowl, mix together dark brown sugar, salt, oregano, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, and cinnamon. Set aside.
• To Make the injection: In a medium bowl, whisk together orange juice, water, dark brown sugar, vinegar, and salt. Using an injection syringe, inject pork shoulder with injection liquid at 1-inch intervals. Pat pork dry with paper towels. Coat pork shoulder evenly all over with rub.
• Fire up smoker or grill to 225°F, adding chunks of wood when desired temperature is reached. When wood ignites and starts producing smoke, place pork shoulder in smoker or grill and smoke until exterior is deeply browned, about 8 to 10 hours. Wrap pork in aluminum foil and continue to cook until an instant-read thermometer registers between 198 and 203°F when inserted into center of meat, about 2 to 3 hours more. Remove pork from smoker and set in an empty cooler to rest for 30 minutes, up to 2 hours. Shred pork with hands or two forks.
• Place a single layer of pork on a large baking sheet, you will not use all of the pork. Transfer baking sheet to broiler set on high and cook until pork has deeply browned and crisped, about 6 minutes. Remove from broiler.
• To assemble tacos: Place a serving of non-crisped pork in each warmed tortilla followed by a layer of the crisped pork, salsa, onion, and cilantro. Serve immediately with lime wedges.

Steps:

• To make the salsa: Place tomatillos on a large baking sheet, cut side down. Transfer baking sheet to broiler set on high and cook until tomatillos are completely soft and lightly charred. Remove the baking sheet from oven and let cool slightly. Transfer tomatillos to the jar of a blender and add in cilantro, water, garlic, and jalapeño. Puree until smooth. Pour salsa into a small bowl and stir in onion. Thin salsa to with additional water if necessary and season with sugar and salt to taste. Transfer to an airtight container and place in refrigerator until ready to use.
• To Make the rub: In a small bowl, mix together dark brown sugar, salt, oregano, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, and cinnamon. Set aside.
• To Make the injection: In a medium bowl, whisk together orange juice, water, dark brown sugar, vinegar, and salt. Using an injection syringe, inject pork shoulder with injection liquid at 1-inch intervals. Pat pork dry with paper towels. Coat pork shoulder evenly all over with rub.
• Fire up smoker or grill to 225°F, adding chunks of wood when desired temperature is reached. When wood ignites and starts producing smoke, place pork shoulder in smoker or grill and smoke until exterior is deeply browned, about 8 to 10 hours. Wrap pork in aluminum foil and continue to cook until an instant-read thermometer registers between 198 and 203°F when inserted into center of meat, about 2 to 3 hours more. Remove pork from smoker and set in an empty cooler to rest for 30 minutes, up to 2 hours. Shred pork with hands or two forks.
• Place a single layer of pork on a large baking sheet, you will not use all of the pork. Transfer baking sheet to broiler set on high and cook until pork has deeply browned and crisped, about 6 minutes. Remove from broiler.
• To assemble tacos: Place a serving of non-crisped pork in each warmed tortilla followed by a layer of the crisped pork, salsa, onion, and cilantro. Serve immediately with lime wedges.