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The oven vs stovetop carnitas argument settled for me

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I ran a proper comparison: same cut (bone-in pork shoulder), same seasoning, same fat ratio, same quantity. One batch in a Dutch oven in a 300F oven for four hours, one batch on the stovetop in the same Dutch oven on the lowest gas burner for the same time. The oven batch was more consistent throughout — the heat was even from all sides and the rendered fat stayed at a stable temperature without supervision. The stovetop batch had hot spots, required more attention, and had slightly more variation between pieces. But — and this is the key — the stovetop batch was better for the final crisp step because I had direct heat control. My conclusion: oven for the braise, stovetop for the last ten minutes of crisping.

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carnitas_king

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Stovetop for the final crisp is completely non-negotiable. You cannot get the Maillard reaction you need in an oven without direct surface contact. The oven braise point is valid though — I have been doing both as separate steps for years and come to the same conclusion.

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slow_carnitas

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The oven is the correct answer for large batches. When you scale to three or four pounds, maintaining consistent stovetop temperature becomes genuinely difficult. The oven takes supervision out of the equation for the long cook.

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