Braised Carnitas with Chimichurri Sauce

Perfect Carnitas for the next Taco Tuesday!

4/5 (5 Reviews)

Ingredients

  • 4 lbs. boneless pork shoulder
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 can of Coca-Cola®
  • 2 oranges, juiced
  • 6 limes, 2 juiced and 4 sliced in wedges for serving
  • 2 jalapeños, seeded and chopped
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 2 tbsp garlic, minced
  • Flour tortillas

Carnitas Rub Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp oregano
  • 3 tsp cumin
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 tbsp salt
  • 3 tbsp pepper

Chimichurri Sauce Ingredients

  • 3 tsp. minced garlic
  • ½ tbsp. salt (more to taste if needed)
  • 2 cups cilantro, finely chopped
  • 3 tbsp oregano
  • 1 cup parsley, finely chopped
  • ¼ cup minced red onion
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • 2 tbsp. white wine vinegar
  • 1 cup EVOO

Instructions

Set the EGG for direct cooking without the convEGGtor at 400°F/204°C.

Rinse pork and pat dry. Season the entire pork shoulder liberally with the rub.

Place a Big Green Egg Dutch oven on the grid and add the oil to heat. Add the pork shoulder and sear on all sides until lightly browned.

Remove the Dutch oven from the EGG. Add the convEGGtor for indirect cooking and stabilize the EGG at 300°F/149°C.

Arrange the shoulder in the Dutch oven with the fat cap facing up. Pour the Coca-Cola®, orange juice and lime juice into the Dutch oven. Add the jalapeños, onion and garlic over the top of the pork. Cook for 4 ½ to 5 hours until meat pulls apart easily.

6 thoughts on “Braised Carnitas with Chimichurri Sauce”

  1. Made this 5 times now. Braise with the lid on for the first hour and then remove the lid for the next 3-4 hrs. This way you impart a nice Smokey flavor and it will fry in its own fat! Just make sure that you stir every hour and then check on the crispness every 15 minutes to insure you don’t burn it towards the last hour. If you aren’t going to remove the lid, then you may as well do it in the oven…IMHO

  2. I cooked this tonite for a get together in a couple of days. Amazing flavor, really easy to make. My wife said I will definitely be making this again. Thanks for the great recipe

  3. Fantastic recipe! I have made this about 3-4 times now and love it. A few tips for those just starting out:
    1. After pulling the pork, lightly crisp it on hot cast iron. Warm your tortillas in the same spot and you won’t be disappointed. This works great for initial serving as well as to heat up the leftovers.

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