Kalua Pork/ Carnitas/Beef brisket

This is a dish I learned to make when I took cooking classes shortly after moving to California. 

• 4-7 pounds pork butt or shoulder roast**
• salt, pepper

Preheat oven to 325 degrees or use the HIGH setting on a crock pot. Wrap the pork well in heavy-duty foil, and seal completely. Place in a roasting pan or crock pot.     
Bake in preheated oven until an internal temperature of 160 degrees F is reached, about 5-7 hours. Alternately, in a crockpot, on high setting for 7-9 hours.  Remove from oven and let cool slightly before shredding using two forks.  Meat should fall apart.  If it doesn't return to heat source for another hour or so.  (There will be a lot of fat.  I remove all of it, or as much as I can.)  Sprinkle the shredded meat with salt and pepper to taste. 

This will make a lot, but that's what I want.  I portion it into freezer containers, to be used later for carnitas.  

For Carnitas:  Place defrosted meat into frying pan, and heat.  We like it to be a little crispy.  Serve with tortillas and Mexican condiments to make burritos.


**This method also works for beef brisket.  You can slice the brisket like a roast or shred it for barbecued beef sandwiches.
      You can even do corned beef like this, but bring it to a boil in a pot of water and simmer for about 30 minutes.  (This will remove some of the saltiness.)  Then wrap in foil and cook as above.