Carnitas

Method

1. season30 min
   room temperature, uncovered
   pork chunks + salt, tossed and left to sit — the salt needs time to move past the cut surface, because nothing you add to the fat later will season the inside of a 2-inch cube
2. simmer10 min
   medium, fat melting
   lard + water + onion + garlic + bay leaf + oregano + cumin + spent orange peel, brought to a lazy bubble; the water is deliberate — it holds the pot near 100°C so the pork cannot brown before its collagen has melted
3. simmer150 min
   bare simmer, 90–95°C, uncovered, no stirring
   + pork, submerged in the fat, barely moving. A hard boil tears the chunks apart and drives the meat dry; the target is fork-tender but still holding its shape. Leave it alone — every stir breaks fibers you want intact for shredding
4. fry15 min
   medium-high, water gone
   raise the heat once the bubbling turns quiet and fine: that sound is the water having boiled off, which is the moment the pot stops braising and starts frying. + orange juice (and evaporated milk, if using) poured over — its sugars caramelize on the hot fat and give the edges their color
5. rest5 min
   lifted out, fat reserved
   pork drained on a rack, aromatics and peel discarded; keep a few spoonfuls of the rendered lard, which is now pork stock in fat form and the best thing to finish with
6. mash5 min
   two forks, coarse
   pull the chunks into thick shreds, not threads — shred too fine and there is no interior left to stay juicy against the crisped surface
7. broil5 min
   single layer, high heat, hot pan or broiler
   shreds spread thin + a spoon of the reserved lard, until the tips go dark and brittle. Crowding traps steam and the meat greys instead of crisping; work in batches = carnitas, contrast of crackling edge and wet interior