Braised Pork Carnitas Recipes

CARNITAS ~ MEXICAN BRAISED PORK

Carnitas ~ Mexican Braised Pork image

This old-school carnitas--pork shoulder simmered with onion, garlic, bay leaf, and orange until falling-apart tender and crispy--is excellent in burritos, tacos, or on its own. And it can be made in an Instant Pot or slow cooker.

Provided by Roberto Santibañez

Categories Mains

Time 2h

Number Of Ingredients 10

Ingredients

4 pounds fatty pork shoulder, cut into 2-inch pieces
3 cups cold water
1 medium white onion, thinly sliced
1/2 orange, preferably seedless, cut into 2 wedges ((or 1 to 2 oranges if using the Instant Pot Variation))
1/4 cup lard, (or, for the lard averse, vegetable oil)
8 garlic cloves, peeled
3 bay leaves
1 tablespoon sweetened condensed milk
2 teaspoons dried oregano, preferably Mexican, crumbled
1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons fine salt, or 3 to 4 teaspoons kosher salt

Steps:

Place all of the ingredients in a wide 6- to 7-quart heavy pot. (Don't worry if everything isn't completely submerged.) Bring to a boil, skimming any scum that collects on the surface as necessary.
Reduce the heat to medium-lowish and simmer vigorously, stirring occasionally, until the pork is fork-tender and the liquid has completely evaporated, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Discard the orange pieces and bay leaves.☞TESTER TIP: If the liquid hasn't completely evaporated, transfer the pork to a bowl and continue to simmer the liquid, stirring often, until it is reduced and only a glossy layer of oil remains.
Preheat the oven to 450°F (232°C)
If your pot isn't ovenproof, transfer the pork and fat to a dish of some sort that's ovenproof. Slide the pork into the oven, uncovered, and let it fry in its own fat until it's browned, 20 to 30 minutes. There's no need to stir. Serve it straight from the pot. (Leftovers-as if!-keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.)

Nutrition Facts : ServingSize 1 portion, Calories 291 kcal, Carbohydrate 6 g, Protein 28 g, Fat 17 g, SaturatedFat 5 g, TransFat 1 g, Cholesterol 94 mg, Sodium 550 mg, Fiber 1 g, Sugar 3 g, UnsaturatedFat 11 g

BRAISED PORK TACOS

Braised Pork Tacos image

Provided by Rachael Ray : Food Network

Time 4h45m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 21

Ingredients

1 (4 to 5 pound) boneless pork shoulder
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 onions, cut into wedges, root end attached
4 large cloves garlic, crushed
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped oregano leaves, half a palmful
2 red chiles, thinly sliced
4 bay leaves
1 (12-ounce) bottle Mexican beer
2 cups chicken stock
4 oranges, juiced about 2 cups
1 chipotle pepper, seeded and finely chopped, plus 1 tablespoon of adobo sauce
2 limes, juiced
1 1/2 cups white wine vinegar or white balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
2 small red onions, thinly sliced
1 cup drained sliced store-bought pickled jalapenos or banana pepper rings
1/4 head red cabbage, shredded
1 cup crumbled queso fresco or 2 cups shredded Monterey jack
16 corn or flour tortillas, charred over open flame and kept warm in tortilla warmer or towel

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Season the pork generously with salt and pepper, to taste, and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Pat the pork dry with a paper towel. Heat a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over high heat with 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, 2 turns of the pan. Put the pork in the pot and evenly brown the meat all over, it will take about 10 to 12 minutes; remove the pork to a plate and reserve.
Turn heat down to medium-high, and add the extra-virgin olive oil to the pot, a couple of turns of the pan. Add the onions and garlic, salt and pepper, to taste, the oregano, 1 sliced chili pepper and 2 bay leaves and cook for 7 to 8 minutes. Deglaze the pot with the beer, scraping up the bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Stir in the chicken stock and orange juice. Add the reserved pork back to the pot (the liquid should come about 2/3 the way up the meat) and bring to a simmer. Cover and put the pork in the oven, turning the meat halfway through cooking, until the meat is very tender, about 2 1/2-3 hours. Remove the pork from the pot, to a cutting board and tent with foil to keep warm. When cool enough to handle, pull the meat apart with 2 forks.
Simmer the braising liquid over medium heat until reduced by half. Add the chipotle and adobo sauce and the lime juice. Add about 2/3 of the shredded meat and stir. Cool the remaining shredded pork and chill for another use.
While the pork is cooking, prepare the pickled red onions: in a small saucepot, bring the white wine vinegar, sugar, teaspoon of salt, remaining chili pepper and bay leaves to a simmer over low heat. Put the sliced red onions in a small sealable container. Carefully pour the hot liquid over the onions, cover and give it a shake. You may need to lift the lid to release some of the pressure. Every now and then, give it a good shake. Refrigerate to cool.
To serve, put the chipotle pulled pork on a platter and garnish with pickled onions and pickled jalapeno slices. Serve with shredded cabbage, crumbled cheese and tortillas for wrapping.

ORANGE AND MILK-BRAISED PORK CARNITAS

Orange and Milk-Braised Pork Carnitas image

It must have been the subliminal beer and liquor advertising that got me, because I wasn't even thinking about Cinco de Mayo when I decided to make this milk-braised pork carnitas recipe. The milk braising beforehand seems to give the meat a little extra succulence. The subtle sweetness from the orange is also very nice.

Provided by Chef John

Categories World Cuisine Recipes Latin American Mexican

Time 2h40m

Yield 8

Number Of Ingredients 10

Ingredients

3 ½ pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into large pieces
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon kosher salt, or more to taste
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 orange, juiced and zested
2 cups whole milk

Steps:

Season pork with pepper and salt.
Heat oil in large pot over high heat. Working in batches, cook pork in the hot oil until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Return all cooked pork and accumulated juice to pot.
Season pork with bay leaves, cumin, dried oregano, and cayenne pepper. Stir in fresh orange juice, orange zest, and milk. Bring mixture to a boil over high heat; reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until meat is fork tender but not falling apart, about 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
Remove pork from liquid. Skim some fat from the pot to grease a baking dish. Transfer the pieces of pork to the baking dish. Drizzle about 2 more tablespoons of the floating fat over the meat. Season with more salt, if needed.
Bake in preheated oven until pork is browned, about 15 minutes. Stir pork.
Turn on oven's broiler. Cook pork under broiler until crisp, 2 to 3 minutes.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 324.9 calories, Carbohydrate 3.7 g, Cholesterol 84.2 mg, Fat 24.1 g, Fiber 0.4 g, Protein 22.4 g, SaturatedFat 8.5 g, Sodium 804.7 mg, Sugar 2.8 g

CARNITAS: BRAISED AND FRIED PORK

Carnitas: Braised and Fried Pork image

Provided by Roberto Santibañez

Categories Pork Appetizer Braise Fry Oscars Cinco de Mayo Dinner Lunch Party Sugar Conscious Wheat/Gluten-Free Peanut Free Tree Nut Free Soy Free No Sugar Added

Yield Enough for 8 main course servings, or enough for 24 to 32 tacos

Number Of Ingredients 10

Ingredients

4 pounds fatty pork shoulder, cut into 2-inch pieces
3 cups water
1 medium white onion, thinly sliced
1/2 orange, cut into 2 pieces
1/4 cup pork lard or vegetable oil
8 garlic cloves, peeled
3 bay leaves
1 tablespoon sweetened condensed milk
2 teaspoons dried oregano, preferably Mexican, crumbled
2 teaspoons fine salt, or 4 teaspoons kosher salt

Steps:

Put all the ingredients in a wide 6-to 7-quart heavy pot (don't worry if the pork is not completely covered) and bring the water to a boil, skimming the surface as necessary. Lower the heat and simmer vigorously, stirring occasionally, until the pork is fork-tender and the liquid has completely evaporated, 1½ to 2 hours. Discard the orange pieces and bay leaves. If the liquid hasn't evaporated after 2 hours, transfer the pork pieces to a bowl and let the liquid continue to bubble away, stirring often, until it has.
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Transfer the pork and fat to an ovenproof dish, if necessary, and brown the pork, uncovered, in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes. There's no need to stir.
Carnitas keeps in the refrigerator for up to three days.