Instant Pot Carnitas

Submitted by Bonnie G #2

"Received this on line from Food 52 site and credited to a Posie Harwood, we do love carnitas so need to save it, here's what was said about it: Author Notes: Carnitas are a perfect candidate for your pressure cooker: In under an hour, you can make flavorful, tender, fall-apart shredded pork. I use it in tacos, to top salads, as a hash, in casseroles, and beyond. —Posie Harwood"

 

• Ready In: 35mins
• Ingredients: 12
• Yields: 3 pounds
• Serves: 6

ingredients

• 3 lbs boneless pork roast, cut into 2-inch cubes
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 limes, juice of
• 1⁄3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1 cup chicken stock (or beer)
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 bay leaf
• 1⁄2 teaspoon chili powder (optional)
• salt and pepper, to taste

directions

1. In your Instant Pot, or in a saute pan over medium heat on the stovetop, heat the oil until shimmering and brown the pork on all sides, working in batches if needed. (Transfer the pork to the Instant Pot if you browned it on the stovetop.).
2. Add all the remaining ingredients. Place the lid on the pot, turn the pot to the "sealing" position, and select Manual mode and set the time for 20 minutes. Once it finishes cooking after 20 minutes, allow the Instant Pot to manually release for 20 minutes.
3. Take off the lid (if the steam valve hasn't dropped, make sure you move the steam value away from "Sealing"). Let the pork cool slightly, then use two forks to shred the meat. It may look like you have way too much liquid, but it will absorb it after you shred the pork.
4. Once shredded, use the pork however you like. I like to toast a few tortillas and top them with the pork, pineapple salsa, fresh cilantro, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. Carnitas make a great salad topping, and are also excellent mixed into rice, in a sandwich (try it! trust me!), or reheated until crispy and served with eggs and hot sauce and avocado.
5. Note: If the pork is too liquid-y even after shredding and sitting, transfer it to a large pan and cook it on the stovetop until some of liquid evaporates. This is also an excellent way to get the meat golden and crispy (you can also spread it on a sheet pan and broil it for a minute or two)—for tacos and salads, I like to take this extra step to get those crunchy edges.

Reviews

[DailyInspiration]

We enjoyed this dish tonight -- easy to put together and nice flavor. I used my pressure cooker vs. an instant pot, so I browned the pork in a skillet before cooking it. Next time, I might add some of the spices to the pork before browning it vs. adding it to the cooking liquid. The pork was tender, flavorful and I boiled the sauce to add some to keep the meat moist after shredding it. I served the carnitas on white corn tortillas and added cotija cheese, avocado and cilantro. Served along with some Mexican rice.