Carnitas Soup Recipes

CARNITAS

Steps:

• Toss the pork with 2 teaspoons of salt. Transfer to a 6- to 7-quart Dutch oven or pot along with the oil, oregano, red pepper, cloves, garlic, bay leaves, lime juice, orange peel and onion. Cover with 4 to 5 cups of water. Bring to a high simmer, then reduce the heat to low, partially cover the pot and simmer gently, checking occasionally to give it a stir, until the pork is tender and just beginning to fall apart, about 1 hour and 30 minutes. Fish out the bay leaves and orange peel. (The pork will not look super-attractive at this point but don't panic!)
• Remove the lid and increase the heat to medium-high. Simmer vigorously, stirring frequently, until all of the water has evaporated, leaving only the oil, and the pork has browned and begun to fry slightly at the bottom of the pot; continue to cook, scraping up the bottom of the pot frequently to release the fried bits, 30 to 40 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the pork from any remaining oil in the pot.
• Serve with tortillas and suggested toppings to make tacos.

CARNITAS SOUP

Steps:

• Add chicken stock, potatoes, carnitas, salsa verde and cumin to a large stockpot, and stir to combine. Heat over medium-high heat until boiling, then cover and reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for at least 10 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if needed. Serve warm with desired toppings.
• Add chicken stock, potatoes, carnitas, salsa verde and cumin to a slow cooker, and stir to combine. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, or high for 3-4 hours. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if needed. Serve warm with desired toppings.
• Add chicken stock, potatoes, carnitas, salsa verde and cumin to an Instant Pot pressure cooker, and stir to combine. Close lid securely and set vent to "Sealing". Press "Manual", then press "Pressure" until the light on "High Pressure" lights up, then adjust the +/- buttons until time reads 8 minutes. Cook. Once the soup has cooked, very carefully turn the vent to "Venting" for quick release, and wait until all of the steam has released and the valve has dropped. Remove the lid. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if needed. Serve warm with desired toppings.

PORK CARNITAS

Steps:

• Heat the vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven over high heat. Season the pork shoulder with salt, then arrange the pork in the Dutch oven. Cook until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Add the onion, garlic, lime juice, chili powder, oregano, and cumin. Pour in the chicken broth, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and continue to simmer until pork is very tender, about 2 1/2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Transfer the pork shoulder to a large baking sheet, reserving the cooking liquid. Drizzle with a small amount of the reserved cooking liquid and lightly season with salt.
• Bake the pork in the preheated oven until browned, about 30 minutes. Drizzle more of the cooking liquid on the meat every 10 minutes, and use two forks to shred the meat as it browns.

SOUS VIDE CARNITAS

Steps:

• Fill a large pot with water and place a sous vide immersion cooker into the water. Set temperature to 165 degrees F (74 degrees C) according to manufacturer's directions.
• Combine granulated garlic, cumin, salt, oregano, coriander, and black pepper in a small bowl.
• Cut pork butt into 2 chunks and rub with soup base. Sprinkle with spice mixture and rub until evenly distributed. Place pork into a large vacuum bag. Add orange slices and bay leaves throughout the bag. Seal using a vacuum sealer.
• Place bag into the water and set timer for 24 hours, turning bag over halfway through. When done, remove pork to a platter, reserving some or all of the juices.
• To crisp up carnitas, heat vegetable oil in a large cast iron skillet over high heat until smoking. Add shredded pork and fry until edges are browned and crispy, 1 to 2 minutes. Drizzle with reserved juices, if desired. Alternately, you may crisp under an oven broiler for 3 to 4 minutes.