Carnitas is a mouthwatering Mexican-style shredded pork made by braising pork in oil or lard until tender. When made on the stovetop and/or in oven, the pork — usually a highly marbled cut like pork butt or shoulder — simmers in added liquid, which helps render the fat. Towards the end of cooking, the braising liquid reduces so much so that the rendered fat takes over as the braising liquid, and eventually helps sizzle the very soft pork so that it’s both incredibly tender and also crispy in spots. The perfect combination!
The challenge with carnitas made in a pressure cooker is that the braising liquid doesn’t reduce. So even though the fat renders, the pork continues to cook in the added liquid. In order to get those crispy bits we transfer the shredded pork to a non-stick pan at the very end.
You can, of course, skip this step and the pork will still be delicious. But if you have time, get those crispy bits going. They are worth it!
Print
Freezer Friendly Carnitas – Instant Pot or Dutch Oven
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4 to 6 1x
Description
The challenge with carnitas made in a pressure cooker is that the braising liquid doesn’t reduce as it does on the stovetop or in the oven. Even though the fat renders, the pork continues to cook in the added liquid. So, in order to get those crispy bits, we transfer the shredded pork to a non-stick pan at the very end.
Ingredients
3 pounds boneless pork butt or shoulder, skin removed
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 (1-inch) pieces orange peel, optional
2 large garlic cloves, smashed
2 bay leaves
Instructions
INSTANT POT DIRECTIONS
1. Cut the meat into 2″ pieces. Place the meat in the insert of your pressure cooker and sprinkle with salt. Using your hands or a silicone spatula, toss the meat to coat evenly with the salt. Add the the orange and lime juices, garlic cloves, and bay leaves. Seal the lid and cook on high pressure for 35 minutes.
2. Allow the steam to release naturally. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer the meat from the cooking liquid to a large bowl. Using the tongs or a fork, shred the meat, being sure to discard the bay leaves. (You can either discard the garlic cloves or mash them into the meat; we prefer the latter.)
3. Add the shredded meat to a large non-stick skillet (you may need to work in batches), ladle some of the cooking liquid into the skillet, and set over medium-high heat. Cook, tossing occasionally, until the pork crisps up in bits. Add more braising liquid as necessary: you want enough to keep the pork moist and help keep it from sticking to the pan, but not so much that it’s dripping. When the pork is as crispy as you want, it’s ready to serve!
DUTCH OVEN DIRECTIONS
- Preheat oven the oven to 300 degrees F.
- Place the meat in large Dutch oven and sprinkle with salt. Using your hands or a silicone spatula, toss the meat to coat evenly with the salt. Add the the orange and lime juices, orange peel, garlic cloves, and bay leaves.
- Place the pan on the stovetop on medium-high and bring to a simmer. Cover and move the pan in the oven and cook for 1 to 11/2 hours or until the pork intender.
- Remove zest and bay leafs, pour off most of the braising liquid and reserve, and shred with a fork.
- Add the shredded meat to a large non-stick skillet (you may need to work in batches), ladle some of the cooking liquid into the skillet, and set over medium-high heat. Cook, tossing occasionally, until the pork crisps up in bits. Add more braising liquid as necessary: you want enough to keep the pork moist and help keep it from sticking to the pan, but not so much that it’s dripping. When the pork is as crispy as you want, it’s ready to serve!
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 45