Instant Pot Carnitas – Crispy, Juicy for the week
- Yield 6 servings
- Prep 15 minutes
- Cook 35 minutes
- Total 1 hour 25 minutes
Instant Pot Carnitas – Crispy, Juicy for the week sits in the Pork section of Regbie. The card serves 6 servings. Plan on 1 hour 25 minutes from the first measure to the plate. The amounts and the method are both written on this page.
Ingredients
Yield: 6 servings
- 3 pounds boneless pork shoulder roast
- 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt, more to taste
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoons crushed dried oregano leaves, preferably Mexican
- 1 medium orange, the cook like using Cara Cara
- 6 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 large yellow onion, peeled and quartered
- 1 dried bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon ghee, avocado oil, lard, or favorite high temperature cooking fat (skippable)
- 1 small white onion, finely diced
- 2 tablespoons cilantro, minced
- 1 head butter lettuce, leaves removed, washed and spun dry ( Siete’s grain-free tortillas are awesome as well.)
- 2 Hass avocados, peeled and sliced or guacamole
- 1-2 radishes, thinly sliced
- 2 jalapeño peppers, sliced (skippable)
- 1 cup salsa, or pico de Gallo
- 3 limes, quartered
Method
Grab your boneless pork shoulder roast (a.k.a. Boston butt) and cut it into 2-inch cubes.
Plop the pork in a large bowl and sprinkle on the salt, cumin, red pepper flakes, and oregano. Turn well to coat. Then, move the seasoned pork to the Instant Pot insert.
Use a vegetable peeler to peel wide strips of zest off the orange. Stay close to the surface, making sure you don’t peel into the white pith, ’cause that stuff is bitter. Tip in the strips of orange zest to the Instant Pot, along with the garlic, quartered yellow onion, and bay leaf.
Slice the bald orange in half and juice it. Tip the juice into the Instant Pot insert and stir to distribute.
Set the insert into the Instant Pot and lock the lid. Make sure the valve on the lid is pointed at the "Sealing" position. Press the “Manual” button (or “Pressure Cook” if you have the new IP-DUO Plus60) and cook on high pressure for 35 minutes. (Stovetop pressure cooker users should cook under high pressure for 30 minutes.) Then, let the pressure release naturally (about 20 minutes).
If the pressure hasn’t completely released after 20 minutes and you’re hungry, manually vent the pressure by turning the release valve on the lid. Open the lid and discard the garlic, onion, and bay leaf. Taste for seasoning and add salt if needed. You can shred and serve the pork as-is, or store it in the fridge (with all the liquid/fat) for up to 4 days (or in the freezer for up to 4 months).
If you prefer crispy carnitas, heat up a large cast iron skillet over a medium burner with a tablespoon of a reliable cooking fat.
Grab the pork out of the fridge and dig out the pieces of carnitas. Shred the meat up with your fingers.
Once the pan is hot, add the pork and fry, stirring occasionally, until it reaches your desired crispness.
Wanna crisp the carnitas in the oven? Warm up the broiler on high with the oven rack six inches from the heating element. Set the shredded carnitas in a single layer in a rimmed baking sheet and pop under the broiler for about 4 to 8 minutes or until shredded pork has golden crispy edges.
While the pork is getting crispy, combine the diced white onion and cilantro in a bowl. Also, wash some butter lettuce leaves, slice up the avocados, radishes, and jalapeños. Grab a reliable salsa, and cut up some lime wedges.
Last but not least, grab your plate and assemble your own satisfying tacos!
Kitchen notes
- Make the carnitas ahead of time on the weekend and taco night will be a breeze during the week!
- The leftover carnitas can be stored in the leftover liquid in the refrigerator in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days or in the freezer for up to 4 months.
- If you freeze the leftovers, make sure to thaw the pork in the fridge overnight so reheating is a breeze.
