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Cowboy Carnitas - Cowboy Kent Rollins

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon ground oregano
  • 1 tablespoon coarse ground pepper
  • 1 tablespoon sea salt
  • 2 tablespoons ground mustard
  • 1 tablespoon onion powder
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
  • 2 tablespoons crushed dried ancho chili
  • 2 tablespoons orange zest
  • 6 to 7 pound pork butt or pork shoulder
  • The juice of 2 navel oranges
  • The juice of 1 lime
  • About 4 tablespoons cooking oil
  • Tortillas shredded cheese, sliced avocados for serving

Instructions

  • In a small bowl, combine the seasonings and orange zest.
  • Pat the pork dry with a paper towel. Generously rub the seasoning mix all over the pork to coat. Cover and set in the fridge for 6 hours or overnight. Remove the pork from the fridge about 30 minutes before cooking.
  • If using hooks to smoke, place the hooks about halfway down the pork to ensure it doesn’t fall while smoking.
  • In the Pit Barrel Cooker, fill the tray with hardwood lump charcoal, and light. When the coals are white add about two handfulls of hickory chips. Hang the pork on the rebar and cook 4 hours, with the lid on, until the internal temperature is about 150 to 160 degrees F.
  • Remove the pork from the smoker and place on a double layer of heavy tin foil. Bend the ends of the foil up to create a boat around the pork.
  • In a small bowl, combine the juices of the lime and orange. Pour the juice over the pork and wrap to seal completely.
  • Add about 4 to 5 more pieces of hardwood lump charcoal and a handful of hickory chips to the tray. Place the wrapped pork on a grate and cook for about 1 ½ to 2 hours or until the internal temp is about 190 degrees Remove the pork from the smoker and let rest to cool slightly enough to handle.
  • Unwrap the pork, with the juice, and place on a large pan with sidewalls. With a set of forks, shred the pork, mixing it in with the juices.
  • Heat a large cast iron skillet with 2 tablespoons of the oil over medum-high heat. Place about half the shredded pork in the skillet and cook until the pieces have crisped up slightly, about 8 to 10 minutes. Repeat with the remaining oil and pork.
  • Serve the Let set until you can shred and then in a large cast iron skillet add 2 tablespoons of frying oil and cook the pork until crispy
  • Serve in tortillas topped with cheese and avocados, if desired.