Carrrrrrrrnitas

You have to roll your "r's" when you say it, otherwise the recipe doesn't turn out.  Right now I am totally obsessed with creating the perfect carnitas recipe.  I do this occasionally, Mike still twitches when I bring up the Summer of the Hamburger.  He's a little bitter that I made so many hamburgers that he ended up not wanting one of his favorite foods for quite a while.  In my defense I would like to say that I now have a recipe for hamburgers that would make any carnivore swoon, and no, I'm not sharing that one.  I will however give you my carnitas recipe.  The wonderful thing about this recipe is that it is just the base.  You can add anything and everything to it, make it spicy, sweet, tangy or leave it pure.  It is not, under any circumstances, a low fat concoction.  The only way get the crispy, tasty morsels is to have a cut of pork that is nice and fatty.  As with all things in life, decadence is perfectly acceptable in moderation, and oh this recipe is decadent.

1 boneless pork roast, well marbled
fresh squeezed orange juice
salt
pepper

Now before you scream that there are no amounts, take a deep breath, it's going to be ok.  My rule of thumb is that for every pound of pork I use 1/4 cup orange juice, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper.  Ish.  The last time I did 4 pounds of pork I squeezed two large oranges.  You can play with the amounts depending on how sweet you want the end result to be.  There are two parties in the carnitas world, the shredders and the cubers.  Although I've pleaded for bipartisanship they remain firmly entrenched in their preferences.  If you prefer to shred, cut the pork into long strips before cooking.  If you are a cubist, simply cube the pork.
Place the pork in a large heavy saucepan or dutch oven.  If you have a cast iron pot then count yourself lucky and pull that baby out.  Add the orange juice, salt and pepper then add enough water to cover the pork completely.  Simmer, don't boil, over medium-low heat for two hours, stirring occasionally.  Increase heat to bring liquid to a boil and boil until all liquid is gone, usually around an hour.  You'll have to check the meat about every 15 minutes or so to make sure it doesn't burn but basically you want all the water to boil off.  This leaves the fat that has rendered off the pork and the meat will fry in the fat, creating beautiful, crispy bits.  Don't stir the meat while it is boiling but do stir when it's frying.  The strips can be shredded at this point. 
Now that you've got the basics, feel free to get creative.  Add jalapenos or chipotle chili powder for spice.  Add garlic or onions for extra flavor.  Add lime juice for tartness.  The possibilities are endless.  You can even add mango juice for a Caribbean flair.  I add all the spices right at the beginning so that they cook deeply into the pork.
Carnitas freeze really well and make a great easy dinner.  You can put it over rice and black beans, in tacos or make Navajo tacos.  Toss some in tortilla soup or on top of nachos.  Mmmmmm, I'm salivating now. 
(Want to know my secret?  I take my leftover bacon grease and throw it in the pot.  Healthy? No.  Fabulous? Yes.)

Fry Bread
2 cups flour
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2/3 cup warm water
cornmeal

oil for frying

Combine dry ingredients in medium bowl.  Add 1/2 cup water, mixing until dough reaches consistency of bread dough(smooth, not sticky), adding more water if necessary.  Divide dough into 6 balls and let rest for 5 minutes.  Meanwhile, heat 2-3 inches of oil in a large, heavy pan to 400 degrees F.  Dust counter or cutting board with cornmeal and roll dough out into 1/4 inch thick disks.  Place in oil, turning once, until golden brown and puffy.  Top with carnitas, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, guacamole, sour cream, green chili, jalapenos and the kitchen sink.  Or top with honey for dessert.  That's right Paula Deen, I just out fatted you, and my stuff tastes better!