Ingredients

• 2 medium onions, divided
• 1/2 cup (8 g) chopped fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems
• 1.5 kg boneless pork shoulder, cut into 2-inch cubes
• 1 tablespoon (8 g) kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1 medium orange, quartered
• 6 garlic cloves, halved, divided
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cinnamon stick, broken into 3 or 4 pieces
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) vegetable oil
• 6 medium tomatillos (about 750 g), husks removed and halved
• 2 jalapeno peppers, stemmed and halved lengthwise
• 24 corn tortillas
• 1 cup (150 g) crumbled queso fresco
• 3 limes, cut into wedges

Steps

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat to 275°F (135°C). Finely dice one onion and toss it with the cilantro; refrigerate the topping until serving. Quarter the remaining onion. Season the pork with 1 tablespoon salt and pack it into a 9- by 13-inch glass baking dish so there is no extra space. Squeeze the orange quarters over the pork, then tuck the spent peels into the dish with 2 onion quarters, 4 garlic halves, the bay leaves, and cinnamon stick. Pour the vegetable oil over the top, cover tightly with foil, and bake until the pork is fork-tender, about 3 1/2 hours.
2. Set a large fine-mesh strainer over a heatproof bowl or quart measuring cup. Discard the orange peel, aromatics, bay leaves, and cinnamon. Transfer the pork, rendered fat, and cooking juices to the strainer and let drain for 10 minutes. Return the pork to the baking dish. You should have roughly 1/2 cup (120 ml) fat and 1/2 cup (120 ml) cooking liquid; skim the fat and fold it back into the pork. Shred the meat into large chunks with two forks and season with additional salt as needed. Refrigerate if prepping ahead. Reserve the strained liquid for the salsa.
3. Combine the reserved cooking liquid with the tomatillos, remaining onion quarters, remaining 2 garlic halves, and jalapenos in a saucepan. Add water until the level is about 1 inch below the top of the vegetables. Bring to a boil, then simmer until the vegetables are completely tender, about 10 minutes. Blend the mixture with an immersion blender (or carefully in a countertop blender) until smooth. Season with salt, cool, and refrigerate until serving.
4. When ready to serve, adjust the oven rack 4 inches below the broiler and heat the broiler to high. Spread the shredded pork in an even layer in the baking dish and broil until the surface is brown and crisp, about 6 minutes. Stir to expose new surfaces and broil again until deeply crisped, about 6 minutes more. Tent with foil to keep warm.
5. Warm the tortillas: heat an 8-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Working one tortilla at a time, dip it briefly in water, cook until the first side is dry with charred spots (about 30 seconds), flip, and cook another 15 seconds. Stack tortillas in a warmer or wrap them in a clean towel while you finish the rest.
6. To assemble, double up the tortillas, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of carnitas, spoon on salsa verde, then finish with the onion-cilantro mixture, queso fresco, and lime wedges for squeezing.