Crispy Carnitas
As if slow-cooked, tender, succulent pork wasn’t tempting enough, carnitas takes it one step further by caramelizing the pork in its own fat until the outside is perfectly browned and crisp. The crispy, tender morsels of pork that come out of the oven are hard to resist; it’s not unusual to eat so much meat right out of the pan that you’re full before the carnitas make it to the table.
Cooking meat that is both tender and crispy might sound tricky but the only trick to making carnitas is getting out of the way so the meat can cook itself. The less you intervene, the better. Seasoned pork is braised in a pot of water until the meat is tender and the water is gone. Then the pork fat takes over, essentially frying the meat into a crispy, fatty, salty masterpiece.
Carnitas is a great dish to cook ahead of time for quick weeknight dinners or large parties. Served with avocado, salsa or sautéed peppers it’s a meal that satisfies every time.
Servings: 6
Time in the Kitchen: 20 minutes active cooking time, 3 to 4 hours in the oven
Ingredients:
- 3 to 4 pounds boneless pork shoulder/butt cut into five pieces. You can trim off a little bit of the fat or leave it all on. (1.4 to 1.8 kg)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt (7 ml)
- 1 teaspoon cumin (5 ml)
- 1 teaspoon chili powder (5 ml)
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 onion, chopped or thinly sliced
- Water, for braising
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350 ºF (177 ºC).
Mix together the salt, cumin and chili powder and rub all over the meat.
Place the meat in a large, heavy pot with the cinnamon stick, bay leaf, garlic and onion. Ideally, the pot is large enough so that the meat is in a single layer. Add enough water to almost, but not entirely, cover the meat.
Put the pot in the oven, uncovered, and braise for 3 to 3 1/2 hours. Stir the meat just a few times while it cooks. You’ll know the pork is done when it’s really tender, slightly browned and most of the liquid is gone.
Remove the pork from the oven. Put the meat on a cutting board and cut or shred it with your hands into thin strips.
Remove the cinnamon stick and bay leaf from the pot. Add the shredded meat back to the pot and return it to the oven.
Roast the meat, mixing occasionally, until the meat is as dark and crispy as you like it. (This process will go even faster if the meat is spread out on a roasting pan or baking sheet with any remaining liquid that was left in the pot. If time is tight, you can also put the meat under a broiler).
If you’re making carnitas ahead of time, cook the meat for 3 hours until tender. The final crisping up in the oven can be done right before serving the meat.
The entire cooking process for carnitas can also be done on a stovetop but the oven is a little easier. A slow cooker can also be used to cook the meat until tender (add only about 1/2 cup of water). The meat can then be transferred to the oven to brown.
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Posted By: Worker Bee
Thanks for this incredible recipe!!
I usually don’t reply to posts, but this one compelled me to do so! I just finished eating and it was plain magnificent! I ended up eating 2 pounds of meat all by myself and just ordered a huge stewpot to make this in deserving quantities.
Thanks again! Highly recommended.
For all the cinnamon skeptics and after being doubtful myself: I used a huge ceylon stick and it wasn’t at all cinnamony!
I made this recipe last week, and my house smelled incredible from the time I started cooking. The meat was tender and delicious, and while it did not taste “cinnamony”, the cinnamon definitely gave it a unique layer of flavor. I am making this again for a Super Bowl party, and will serve it like I did the first round, with some homemade guacamole, salsa and pico de gallo. Apart from, maybe, some salad greens, the above accompaniments are enough! Soooo good!
Made this last night. Easy and delicious. Added 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon because the store was out of cinnamon sticks- not strong at all. Next time will try the sticks!
Just made this for the first time and it was amazing! I love carnitas, ordered them regularly when dining out even before I went primal. Used a bone in cut and it worked fine. My only issue was too much water. I’ll reduce it quite a bit next time. Served it with diced tomatoes, onion, garlic, avocado, and lime juice salsa, with a dab of ghost chili hot sauce. Will be making it again, and like others pointed out, it made the house smell great on a very cold winter day.
These are amazing. I just browned the meat in my pressure cooker with some oil for about 40 minutes. Then added all the other ingredients plus some home canned honey jalapenos. Absolutely fabulous!! I can’t wait to do this again.
Made this again today, with a twist. I brine all the pork I put on my smoker, so I decided to do the same with this batch of carnitas. Overnight in a brine of 1/2 C each of pickling salt and brown sugar, with generous additions of cumin, cayenne,garlic, and ground cinnamon, i just enough water to cover it well. The meat came out even more tender and juicy than last time.
This might be one of the most delicious things I’ve ever tasted. And yes, you can taste the cinnamon. And it’s wonderful. I’m Italian and my parents are from Italy and they cooked sauce with cinnamon in it and so did their grandparents. Cinnamon isn’t just for french toast, guys. It’s used sparingly as an accent. It’s a wonderful complement to savory foods as well, and is widely used in many cultures as a meat and savory spice. Sheesh.
I am not a pork fan, but wow, this recipe blew me away! i was a huge hit with the whole family! I could happily eat this weekly.
Made this today and it is delicious. I’ve made another recipe for carnitas but this one is better. Now I will make some guacamole to serve with it.
Another way to make them is to marinate the cubes of pork in mojo, then they’re simmered in pork fat in a heavy pot on the stovetop for a couple of hours. Then turn the heat up so the pork starts to deep fry for 30 minutes. Now you’ve got crunchy all the way around!
After shredding, I serve the carnitas on individual romaine lettuce leaves (cut across the rib), served like a taco with house salsa and sour cream.
It will blow your mind.
Render your own pork fat by getting fat scraps (usually for free) from your local grocery store.