Man, I love carnitas.
I ate them a TON when my husband and I were stationed in Texas, years past. I mean, what’s better for a day of football than a huge pile of nachos carnitas?
This is an excellent carnitas recipe for a crowd. It doesn’t require much prep, either, which means you see the game and spend more time with you friends.
Pork carnitas is a classic Mexican pulled pork recipe that is just so good. Carnitas can be used in tacos, quesadillas, salads – or eaten by itself.
Carnitas is more of a cooking technique, while pork is the most common meat used in the recipe. Basically, the pork is cooked on low heat for a long time until it is tender. Then it’s torn up into tiny pieces and broiled until the outside is crispy and caramelized.
Carnitas is a great Saturday night college football meal. You start it in the afternoon and in a few hours, you’ll have dinner ready to roll. Magnificent with ice cold beer – or even better, mix up some frosty drinks with a margarita machine – Ole!
If you are seeking to upgrade your next taco night – or try some killer NFL nachos – carnitas is the way to go.
Ingredientes
3-4 lbs of pork shoulder (boneless)
1 teaspoon salt
1 tsp ancho chile / chipotle chile powder mix
1 tsp cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
3/4 cup orange juice
Water to cover
Instructionnes
- Pour just enough vegetable oil to cover the bottom of a hefty oven ready pan with lid
- Warm over moderate high heat
- Pre heat oven to 325oF
- Cut pork into one inch blocks after trimming excessive fat.
- Toss the pork cubes with spices in a bowl.
- Brown the pork in the dutch oven.
- When the meat is browned, deglaze the pan’s bottom with the orange juice.
- Stir to break up the brown bits.
- Introduce the meat back in the pan and cover with water until it’s submerged.
- Bring to a simmer.
- Cover and put back in the oven.
- Once the meat, stir gently.
- The pork should be prepared about the third hour.
- When you’re prepared, sift the pork onto a plate and boil the braising liquid on a stove set at high.
- Let the pork cool for a few minutes.
- Discard any extra fat or gristle.
- Rip the meat into smaller pieces.
- Turn your broiler on high and put a rack close to the top
- Mix the shredded pork with some of the reduced braise mixture on a sheet pan
- Broil the pork for five-ten minutes per side. Wait for it to carmelize.
Time to serve!
Ways To Prepare Carnitas
We enjoy our carnitas on nachos – but there’s no wrong way to eat them.
Some people make enchiladas out of them.
And others like to eat them on tostados.
Whatever your pleasure – enjoy!