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.
- 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.