Manteca Fried Carnitas

Ingredients

• 6  bay leaves 
• 5 pounds boston butt pork shoulder boneless cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
• 1.5 teaspoons coarse ground pepper black
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt 
• 2 large onions quartered
• 1 large cranberry-orange relish halved
• 3  garlic cloves whole
• 1 gallon lard for frying manteca
• 1 gallon lard for frying manteca

Equipment

• roasting pan
• slotted spoon

Directions

1. Heat the lard in a deep roasting pan over medium heat. Stir in the pork, bay leaves, salt, pepper, onions, and garlic. Squeeze the orange into the mixture and drop in the orange halves.
2. Add more lard if needed to cover all of the ingredients.
3. Cook until the pork is tender enough to pull apart with a fork, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Discard the orange, onion, and garlic; strain the pork cubes from the lard using a slotted spoon.