Brazilian Carnitas Recipe

Marinate Pork

In a bowl combine orange juice, lime juice, minced garlic, smoked paprika, ground cumin, dried oregano, kosher salt, and black pepper. Add the pork shoulder pieces and bay leaf. Toss to coat, cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 4 hours.

Sear Pork

Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C). Remove pork from marinade and pat dry with paper towels (reserve marinade). Heat vegetable oil in a heavy ovenproof pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Sear pork pieces in batches until browned on all sides, 3–4 minutes per side. Transfer seared pork back to the pot.

Roast Slowly

Pour reserved marinade over the seared pork, nestle the bay leaf back in if it fell out. Cover pot with lid and place in preheated oven. Roast until pork is very tender and easily shredded, about 2 to 2.25 hours.

Crisp Carnitas

Remove pork from oven and preheat broiler to high (or increase oven to 475°F/245°C). Using two forks, shred the pork into bite-sized pieces, discarding bay leaf. Spread shredded pork on a rimmed baking sheet in a single layer, drizzle 1–2 tbsp of the cooking juices or a little oil over the pork. Broil 3–6 minutes, watching carefully, until edges are crisped. Flip and broil another 2–4 minutes to crisp both sides. Remove from oven and keep warm.

While pork roasts, prepare the sauce. Roast the red chiles and the half red bell pepper over a gas flame or under the broiler until blackened, turning to char evenly, about 6–8 minutes. Place chiles and pepper in a bowl and cover to steam 10 minutes; peel and remove seeds if you prefer milder heat.

In a blender or food processor combine the peeled chiles, roasted red pepper, garlic cloves, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, smoked paprika, olive oil, and salt. Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust salt or lemon to balance heat. Transfer to a small bowl; set aside at room temperature. (Sauce can be made ahead and refrigerated up to 3 days.)

Preheat your oven to 500°F (260°C) with a pizza stone or inverted baking sheet on a middle rack for at least 30 minutes. If using a home oven that doesn’t reach 500°F, preheat to the highest temperature possible.

Prepare the dough by dusting a pizza peel or work surface with cornmeal or semolina. Stretch or roll the dough to a 12–14 inch round, leaving a slightly thicker edge for the crust. Brush the dough lightly with 1 tablespoon olive oil to help prevent sogginess.

Build the pizza: Spread 2–3 tablespoons of the piri piri sauce over the dough in an even layer, leaving the edge bare. Distribute the shredded/cooked carnitas evenly over the sauce. Scatter shredded or torn fresh mozzarella over the top, then top with thinly sliced red onion.

Bake the pizza: Slide the pizza onto the preheated stone or baking sheet and bake until crust is golden and cheese is bubbly and slightly browned, 8–12 minutes depending on oven temperature.

Finish and serve: Remove pizza from oven. Sprinkle chopped cilantro over the top and drizzle 1 teaspoon of piri piri sauce in a few spots if you want extra heat. Let rest 2 minutes, then cut into 6–8 slices. Serve with lime wedges to squeeze over the slices.

If any additional juices from the carnitas remain, spoon a few small, well-drained bits on the finished slices for extra richness. Adjust piri piri and lime to taste when serving.