Like all great recipes, this Instant Pot Carnitas recipe rules for two reasons: it’s easy enough to do over and over again and it tastes like the taco truck. Once you make this, you might think twice about ever getting takeout carnitas ever again.
You must sear the chunks of pork before you place the meat in the Instant Pot. But that’s not all. You also must sear it in a hot cast iron pan. I suppose any pan you can sear meats in will work.
But whatever you do, don’t use the sear function in the Instant Pot. Why? It just doesn’t get hot enough.
Also the surface area is small so it is tedious when working with any amount over a pound. And finally, searing in a pot means you will collect steam which is the enemy of searing. I know some people will skip this step but you will end up with a less impressive final dish.
Salt. Pork. Garlic, Bay leaves(I skipped them on this occasion). And some oranges, halved, squeezed with the remaining rind tossed in. Oh and just enough water to not trigger the burn function. Sometimes I’ll use homemade chicken stock(also made in the Instant Pot).
That is it.
I’ve seen recipes that needlessly add chili powder, cumin, oregano. Now look, I’m not Mexican and I’ve never made carnitas the traditional way with lard. That being said, I’ve had a ton carnitas tacos and I’ve never said “damn I’m really tasting the cumin right now”.
Just remember the punch of flavor beyond the rich meat comes from salsa and the other toppings(more on that soon).
This step is as important as searing or even turning the Instant Pot on. Once the meat is made tender in the Instant Pot, remove it with tongs and put it back in the same pan you seared it in.
Shred the meat with two forks to your desired texture and broil it up for about 5-10 minutes. Be careful to not let it burn and mix it up so you can render more fat and brown up the meat more evenly. Repeat the broiling process as needed.
At this point, you should have enough fat from the searing to keep the meat moist and be able to brown it up. You can always add a little lard too or a little oil but you shouldn’t have to if you picked up a well marbled pork shoulder. Carnitas is traditionally cooked in lard so if you want to recreate the flavor experience at home, make sure you are using a fatty pork shoulder.
Choose your salsas wisely and don’t forget the toppings. Chopped onion and cilantro are always great in tacos but in the case of this rich pork, become even more crucial for textural contrast and flavor balance.
I like a green salsa to go with my carnitas so either tomatillo salsa or one with some avocado in there too. Finally a quick pickle red onion and habanero mix really sets the taco off.
Is making great Mexican food at home. By the way . . .this is CHEAP TO MAKE. Pork shoulder at the supermarket is pretty affordable even these days. Heck you can even splurge and get pork from a local farm and it will still be a steal compared to going out to eat.
Finally I do want to give some props to the following recipe creators who helped guide me here. Honeysuckle started my journey with this great YouTube video documenting her method. When I wanted to hone in a more traditional flavor profile I discovered Leite’s Culinaria version here.
Feel free to go down the Instant Pot Carnitas rabbit hole and definitely try this version too!
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