Traditional carnitas, Mexico’s version of pulled pork, is fried in gallons of lard or oil. The results are tasty, but who wants to deal with all that hot fat?

We wanted restaurant-style carnitas — tender chunks of lightly crisped, caramelized pork, subtly accented with oregano and citrus — without the hassle of frying.

Our initial recipe for carnitas started by simmering the meat (taste tests proved boneless pork butt had the best flavor) in a seasoned broth in the oven and then sauteing it in some of the rendered fat. The flavor was OK, but too much of the pork flavor was lost when we discarded the cooking liquid.

So we removed the meat and reduced the liquid on the stovetop to the consistency of a thick, syrupy glaze that was perfect for coating the meat.

Broiled on a rack set over a baking sheet, the glazed meat developed a wonderfully rich flavor, and the rack allowed the excess fat to drip off.

We emulated the flavor of the Mexican sour oranges used in authentic carnitas with a mixture of fresh lime and orange juices. Bay leaves and oregano provided aromatic notes, and cumin brought an earthiness that complemented the other flavors.

Carnitas (Mexican Pulled Pork)

• 1 (3-1/2- to 4-pound) boneless pork butt, fat cap trimmed to 4/5-inch thick, cut into 2-inch chunks
• 1 small onion, peeled and halved
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt, and more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and more to taste
• 2 cups water
• 2 tablespoons juice from 1 lime
• 1 medium orange, halved
• 18 (6-inch) corn tortillas
• >> Garnishes: Lime wedges, minced white or red onion, fresh cilantro leaves, thinly sliced radishes, sour cream

Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat oven to 300.

Combine pork, onion, bay leaves, oregano, cumin, salt, pepper, water and lime juice in a large Dutch oven (the liquid should just barely cover the meat).

Juice orange into a medium bowl and remove any seeds (you should have about 1/3 cup juice). Add juice and squeezed-out orange halves to pot. Bring mixture to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Cover and transfer pot to oven; cook until the meat is soft and falls apart when prodded with a fork, about 2 hours, flipping pieces once during cooking.

Remove pot from oven and turn oven to broil.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer pork to a bowl; discard orange halves, onion and bay leaves.

Leaving pork juices in pot (do not skim fat from liquid), place pot over high heat (use caution, as the handles will be very hot). Simmer, stirring frequently, until thick and syrupy, 8 to 12 minutes (a spatula should leave a wide trail when dragged through the glaze). You should have about 1 cup reduced liquid.

Using two forks, pull each piece of pork in half. Fold in reduced liquid; season with salt and pepper to taste. Spread pork in an even layer on wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet or on a broiler pan (the meat should almost cover the entire surface). Place on the lower-middle oven rack and broil until top of meat is well browned (but not charred) and edges are slightly crisp, 5 to 8 minutes.

Use a wide metal spatula to flip the pieces and broil other side is browned and edges are crisp, 5 to 8 minutes longer.

Place tortillas on a plate, cover with a damp dish towel and microwave 60 to 90 seconds. Keep covered. Serve with pork and garnishes. Serves 6.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving: 339 calories, 14 g total fat, 5 g saturated fat, 147 mg cholesterol, 549 mg sodium, 3 g carbohydrate no fiber, 2 g sugar, 46 g protein.