CARNITAS THAT WILL KNOCK YOUR SOCKS OFF
These carnitas have been a work in progress for over two years, and I’m happy to report that it was totally worth the leg work to finally have a recipe this delicious. I order carnitas wherever they are sold, and these are better than what I’ve had so far. Which is a bold statement, I know.
First, a PSA about Sazon. I read food labels like religion, but in this case I advise you to look the other way. Just trust me when I say that this tiny little packet will transform this whole dish, making it taste so good that you won’t look back, or make homemade sazon (it’s not the same). And I make a lot of things from scratch. So come with me to the dark side…
INGREDIENTS:
2 1/2-3lbs. pork butt, cut into 2” chunks*
Canola or corn oil
1 medium-sized yellow onion, sliced
3 large garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 packet Sazon ( 1 1/2tsp.)
1 tbsp. ground cumin
1 tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. garlic salt
1/4 tsp. tumeric
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. chipotle chili powder*
1 tbsp. Mexican oregano
2 small or 1 large orange
2 limes
Kosher salt & fresh ground black pepper
1/2 of a 12oz. beer, such as Modelo Especial
1 tbsp. Better than Bouillon Chicken Base
Chopped cilantro for garnish
*NOTE on pork: I found the pork butt already cut into large chunks and labeled ‘carnitas’ at my local grocery store.
*NOTE on chili powder: You can just increase the regular chili powder to 1 tbsp. + 1 tsp. if you want, instead of using chipotle chili powder.
DIRECTIONS:
Heat a dutch oven or large oven-proof pot over medium high heat. Season the pork with kosher salt and pepper.
Add enough oil to reach 1/4 inch. Heat the oil until shimmering and then carefully place the pork in the hot oil in batches. Don’t crowd the pot or the meat will not brown. Fry on the first side until lightly browned, and then turn them over and brown the other side. Remove to a plate and continue until all of the pork is cooked. Drain off all but about 1 tbsp. of oil.
Add onion and garlic to the oil and cook until they are starting to brown. Add all of your spices and sazon and cook until fragrant, stirring almost constantly for about 1-2 minutes. This allows the spices to ‘bloom’ or become more flavorful.
Now you can squeeze the oranges and limes into the pot. Many recipes call for throwing in the peels, but I find they make the sauce bitter, so I just use the juice. Add cilantro, beer, chicken base, and the reserved pork with any accumulated juices to the pot, a big pinch of kosher salt and give it a good stir. Bring to a low boil and then reduce to a bare simmer, covered, on the stove for 2-3 hours. You want to see it gently bubbling. I suggest stirring after two hours and testing the pork with a fork to see if it’s tender enough to shred. If not, just keep cooking on a low simmer until it is.
From here you can just keep warm until ready to serve, or remove the pork to a foil-lined sheet pan. Using two forks, shred the meat. I like to leave them in small chunks. Spoon some of the sauce from the pot over the pork and broil for 3-5 minutes until it’s starting to crisp on the top, keeping an eye on it. Serve in warm tortillas, nachos or basically any way you like. I only garnish with cilantro and maybe a little pico.
*NOTE ABOUT SLOW COOKERS OR INSTANT POTS. I started this off by sautéing in my Instant Pot and then switched to slow cooker, with the intention of cooking on low for 4 hours. Unfortunately, the Instant Pot died on me, so I transferred it to my dutch oven. If using a slow cooker or Instant Pot, I would suggest following the directions above and then setting the slow cooker feature to 4 hours on low. There is no need to cook this for 8 hours. Test the meat and if needed, cook a little longer.