Crispy Carnitas Recipes

PORK CARNITAS (MEXICAN SLOW COOKER PULLED PORK)

Steps:

• Rinse and pat dry pork with a paper towel.
• In the bowl of a 6-quart slow cooker, add pork, salt, pepper, oregano, cumin, onion, garlic, lime juice, orange juice, coke, and bay leaves.
• Cover and cook on low heat setting for 8-10 hours, or high heat for 5-6 hours (until the meat falls apart).
• Remove pork and shred with two forks (DO NOT DISCARD THE LIQUID!)

CRISPY PORK CARNITAS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C).
• Remove fat from pork; cut pork meat into 2-inch cubes and roughly chop fat.
• Mix pork, garlic, olive oil, orange peel, orange juice, salt, bay leaves, black pepper, cumin, cinnamon, and 5-spice powder together in a bowl until pork is coated completely. Transfer mixture to a 9x13-inch baking dish. Place baking dish on a baking sheet and cover baking dish tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil.
• Bake in the preheated oven until pork is fork-tender, about 3 1/2 hours.
• Set oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven's broiler.
• Transfer meat to a colander set over a bowl. Remove garlic, bay leaves, and orange peels from baking dish and pour accumulated juices from the baking dish over meat in colander into the bowl. Return meat to the baking dish and drizzle accumulated juices over each piece of meat.
• Cook meat under the preheated broiler for 3 minutes. Drizzle more accumulated juices over meat and continue broiling until crispy, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer pork to a serving plate and drizzle more accumulated juices over the top.

SOUS VIDE CRISPY CARNITAS

Steps:

• Combine 2 tablespoons salt, brown sugar, garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, oregano, and black pepper in a small bowl and mix well.
• Place pork pieces into a large bowl. Rub spice mixture evenly over the pork, pressing until it adheres. Add in onion, garlic, cinnamon stick, and bay leaves.
• Squeeze orange juice into the bowl with the pork and toss in the juiced orange pieces as well; toss to combine.
• Place pork mixture into a sous vide-safe vacuum sealer bag. Seal bag and immerse in a heat-proof container of water with a sous vide cooker. Set temperature to 165 degrees F (74 degrees C) and add the ping pong balls on top. Cook, occasionally re-adding water as it evaporates, 12 to 24 hours.
• Remove pork carefully from the water bath and transfer contents into a large bowl. Pick out the chunks of meat with tongs and transfer to a rimmed baking sheet. Discard everything else left in the bowl. Let pork cool briefly. Shred using 2 forks or your fingers and spread evenly over the baking sheet. Season with salt.
• Set oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven's broiler. Place pork under the broiler and cook, flipping halfway through, until fork-tender, about 10 minutes. Watch carefully so it doesn't burn.
• Place tomatoes and green chiles in a food processor and blend until pureed. Pour into a saucepan; add chicken stock, rice, butter, chili powder, cumin, oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt, garlic powder, and onion powder. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer until Spanish rice is tender, about 25 minutes.