Carnitas

Pat the pork chunks thoroughly dry and toss with the salt until every surface is coated. Let them sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes while you assemble the aromatics. Dry, well-salted meat is the foundation — surface moisture steams instead of browns and dilutes the rendering fat.

Nestle the pork in a single layer in a heavy wide pot or Dutch oven. Add the lard, squeeze in the orange juice and drop in the spent shells, then add onion, garlic, bay, and cinnamon. Add just enough water to barely reach the top of the meat. Bring to a gentle simmer, then drop to the lowest heat that keeps lazy bubbles rising. Cook uncovered 1.5-2 hours, undisturbed, until the water has cooked off and the pork is fork-tender, now submerged in clear rendered fat.

Once the water is gone and the pork sits in clear fat, raise the heat to medium-high. If using, drizzle in the sweetened condensed milk now — the trace of sugar and dairy boosts browning the Michoacán way. Let the pieces fry in their fat, turning them only every few minutes, until deeply golden and crisp at the edges, 8-12 minutes. Resist over-stirring; contact time with the hot pot is what builds the crust.

Transfer the carnitas to a board and let them rest 5 minutes so the juices settle. Roughly chop or pull into a craggy mix of crisp shards and tender shreds, spooning over a little of the warm rendered fat to keep them glossy. Taste and add a pinch more salt and a squeeze of fresh lime if it needs brightening. Serve hot on warm corn tortillas with onion, cilantro, and salsa.