Pork Carnitas
I have been on a quest for the perfect, easy Pork Carnitas recipe for quite sometime now and I think I have finally found one that works for me. The best part is a lot of the cooking is done in a pressure cooker or slow cooker so you can easily prepare this. Definitely try this one out!
You can serve the carnitas as is, on a salad, in a taco or quesadilla, on nachos, or any way you’d like. The important thing is that you enjoy it!
Pork Carnitas
Difficulty: Easy4-6
servings15
minutes4
hoursIngredients
2 pounds boneless pork shoulder (or 2 1/2 pounds bone-in)
2 oranges (1 1/2 oranges juiced, 1/2 orange sliced)
1 onion, coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeño, seeds removed and chopped
1 poblano pepper, seeds removed and chopped
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, for searing pork
- Seasoning for Pork
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon kosher salt
Directions
- In a small bowl, combine 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon ground cumin, 1 tablespoon dried oregano, and 1 tablespoon kosher salt into a paste. Dry the pork shoulder with a paper towel. Rub pork seasoning paste all over pork.
- Instant Pot
- Set Instant Pot to saute and add 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Sear pork on all sides, set aside. Add in onion, jalapeño, and poblano pepper and saute until soft.
- Add pork back into the pot. Add in garlic and orange juice and top with orange slices.
- Set instant pot to meat setting to pressure cook for 1 hour.
- After 1 hour, release pressure and carefully open instant pot and shred with tongs or two forks.
- Slow Cooker
- Line the bottom of your slow cooker pot with the onion, jalapeño, poblano pepper, and garlic. Place the pork in a slow cooker and squeeze over the juice of the orange & add the two halves into the pot. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or on high 4 hours.
- Once the meat is tender, remove from slow cooker and let cool slightly before pulling apart with two forks.
- Stovetop/Oven
- Preheat oven to 275°F. Meanwhile, heat a dutch oven (or heavy bottom pot) over medium high heat. Add 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil to pot and sear pork on all sides. When browned on all sides, remove pork from pot and set aside. Add in onion, garlic, jalapeño, and poblano pepper and saute until soft.
- Add pork back into the pot. Pour in orange juice and top with orange slices. Bring to boil. Once boiling cover pot and transfer the pot to the preheated oven.
- Braise the pork low and slow in the oven for 4 hours, until very tender.
- Once the meat is tender, and let cool slightly before pulling apart with two forks.
- Before serving
- In a large saute pan, heat the vegetable oil over high heat. Press the carnitas into the oil, add salt, and fry until crusty on one side. Serve.