Rub the kosher salt over pork. Place in a sealed container and refrigerate over night.
Remove pork from refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature.
In a large piece of cheesecloth, wrap the garlic cloves, orange, onion, bay leaves, Mexican oregano and cinnamon stick and secure with kitchen twine.
Frying
Melt the lard in a large, heavy stock pot over high heat. Carefully add the Seasoning Bundle, piloncillo (or brown sugar) and pork chunks.
Bring lard to a boil over high heat (350°F), lower to medium (adjust heat to medium low if pork turns brown too quickly) and cook, stirring often, for 90 minutes. Pork will turn a golden brown. Do not exceed to 370°F which is the smoking point of lard.
Turn heat to low and carefully add the milk. Stir and it will boil slightly for 30 seconds. Simmer for 20-30 minutes until meat is fall apart tender when gently squeezed with tongs or fork.
Carefully transfer pork from oil using a slotted spoon or spider to a serving platter lined with paper towels. Allow meat to cool slightly and shred by hand or using forks.
Serve with hot tortillas, refried beans, sliced onions, tomato slices, cilantro, limes and salsas of choice.
Video
Notes
Mexican oregano is a relative of Lemon Verbena and is native to Mexico. Similar in that it’s pungent like Mediterranean oregano, Mexican oregano has notes of mild licorice and citrus. Mediterranean oregano is a member of the mint family and most often is used in Greek and Italian recipes. Mediterranean oregano is the one most found in spice racks and supermarkets.
I buy ARMOUR Manteca/Lard in a 4 pound tub found near the butcher/meat section at my local market. Remember to boil and keep at 350°F. Do not exceed 365-370°F, which is the smoking point of lard.
Piloncillo is cane sugar, similar in taste to molasses and can be found at most Mexican/Latin markets. It comes in a 8 ounce cone shape, wrapped in plastic. For this recipe you just need 2 ounces, I chop off a quarter chunk, or if I do not have any on hand, will substitute a 1/4 cup of brown sugar.
**NUTRITIONAL info is for carnitas meat only. Fat and calorie counts stated here are high and do not take into account the discarded fat it is fried in.