Instant Pot Crispy Carnitas
Ingredients
CARNITAS INGREDIENTS:
- 4.5 pounds lean boneless pork roast excess fat trimmed, cut into 2-inch chunks
- salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil or olive oil
- 1 batch mojo sauce see below
- chopped fresh cilantro leaves and fresh salsa for serving
MOJO SAUCE INGREDIENTS:
- 1 cup beer or chicken stock
- 1 head garlic cloves separated, peeled and minced
- ½ cup fresh orange juice
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper freshly cracked
OPTIONAL: FRESH PINEAPPLE SALSA
- 2 cups finely-diced fresh pineapple
- ½ cup finely-chopped fresh cilantro
- ½ cup finely-diced red onion
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 jalapeño seeded and finely-diced
- salt and pepper
Instructions
TO MAKE THE INSTANT POT CRISPY CARNITAS:
- In a medium mixing bowl, prepare the mojo sauce (see below).
- Season pork chunks on all sides with salt and pepper. (A couple teaspoons salt is plenty.)
- Click the “Saute” setting on the Instant Pot. Add oil and half of the pork, and sear — turning every 45-60 seconds or so — until the pork is browned on all sides. Transfer pork to a separate clean plate, and repeat with the other half of the pork, searing until browned on all sides. Press “Cancel” to turn off the heat.
- Pour in the mojo sauce, and toss briefly to combine. Close lid securely and set vent to “Sealing”.
- Press “Meat”, then press “Pressure” until the light on “High Pressure” lights up, then adjust the up/down arrows until time reads 30 minutes. Cook. Then let the pressure release naturally, about 15 minutes. Carefully turn the vent to “Venting”, just to release any extra pressure that might still be in there. Then remove the lid.
- Turn on the oven broiler to High.
- Shred the pork with two forks. Then transfer it with a slotted spoon to a large baking sheet. Spoon about a third of the leftover juices evenly on top of the pork. Then broil for 4-5 minutes, or until the edges of the pork begin browning and crisping up. Remove the sheet from the oven, then ladle a remaining third of the juices from the Instant Pot evenly over the pork, and then give it a good toss with some tongs. Broil for an additional 5 minutes to get the meat even more crispy. Then remove and ladle the final third of the juices over the pork, and toss to combine.
- Sprinkle with chopped fresh cilantro, then serve immediately in tacos, burritos, salads, or whatever sounds good to you! Or, refrigerat pork in a sealed container for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
TO MAKE THE MOJO SAUCE:
- Whisk all ingredients together in a medium mixing bowl until combined.
TO MAKE THE PINEAPPLE SALSA:
- Toss all ingredients together in a medium mixing bowl until combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste, also adding in extra lime juice if desired.
Nutrition
Calories: 407kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 58gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 160mgSodium: 419mgPotassium: 1085mgFiber: 1gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 140IUVitamin C: 35.1mgCalcium: 35mgIron: 1.9mg
This is absolutely delicious! Careful of the salt content on the pork roast. I over did it the first time. If you use Cotija cheese with the carnitas in a taco shell, the Cotija cheese is extra salty.