Carnitas Caseras (home-cooked Carnitas)

Total Time: 55 mins Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 4 tablespoons lard
• 3 lbs lamb (cut into 2-inch cubes, a combination of country style lamb ribs and boneless stewing lamb works well)
• 1/2 medium onion, roughly sliced
• 4 fresh marjoram, sprigs or 1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 4 fresh thyme sprigs or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 3 california bay leaves, broken up
• 10 peppercorns, crushed
• 1 orange, cut into eighths
• 1 cup milk
• sea salt

Recipe

• 1 heat the lard in a heavy pan, add the meat, and fry, stirring and turning it over from time to time, until lightly golden-about 8 minutes.
• 2 add the onion and stir well. cook for 8 minutes longer or until the meat is well browned (remove onion only if it has burned).
• 3 add the remaining ingredients, cover the pan, and cook over low heat until the meat is just tender, not falling apart- about 20 minutes, depending on the quality of the meat. there should be plenty of pan juices. remove the lid, increase the heat, and fry, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan, until the juices have been absorbed- about 10 minutes. drain off the extra fat and serve with salsa fresca, guacamole, and tortillas.
• 4 these carnitas may be prepared ahead up to thee point of the final frying, but they should be kept covered so that the meat does not dry out.