Carnitas (V)
Meal: 350 cal Protein: 53 g Carbs: 7 g Fat: 11 g
The traditional cut for Carnitas is Pork Shoulder. This works well because carnitas, similar to the Southern classic, Pulled Pork, is made by slow roasting the meat. This method breaks down the fat and sinew into really tender shreds. Leaner cuts, like pork loin, don’t have those elements to break down so it becomes toughened with this method. A portion of the Pork Shoulder is the Pork Butt (also known as the “Boston Butt”). It’s the less fatty portion of the shoulder, so it’s a bit leaner, but still perfect for a low, slow roast into Carnitas. If you can find this cut – even better. One last option would be the Pork Leg – it’s leaner than the shoulder, but still a good cut for Carnitas. It might be difficult to find at your grocery store because this is a popular cut to cure into Ham.
Our braising liquid is similar to a traditional carnitas recipe, but we have made a few Smart Swaps. We’ve swapped reduced the calories by more than 100 per serving by using broth and blackstrap molasses for Coca-Cola and Sugar. This adds richness to the pork without all the added calories and sugar.
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp Oil
- 2.5 Lb Pork Butt cut into large chunks
- Sea Salt & Pepper
Directions
- Season Pork Chunks with Salt & Pepper.
- Heat Dutch Oven on stovetop on Medium.
- Add oil.
- When hot, add Pork chunks.
- Sear on each side 4-5 minutes, or until browned and set meat aside.
Ingredients
- 1 medium Onion diced
- 8 cloves Garlic smashed
- 1 Tbsp Cumin
- 1 Tbsp Oregano
- 1 Tbsp Smoked Paprika
- 1 C Broth
- 1 juiced and zested
- 2 Limes juiced and zested
- 2 Tbsp Black Strap Molasses
- 2 Bay Leaves
Directions
- Add Onion and Garlic.
- Cook until soft.
- Add Cumin, Oregano, and Paprika
- Cook until fragrant.
- Add Broth and deglaze pan.
- Add Orange, Lime, Molasses, and Bay Leaves. Mix well.
- Add Cover and braise in oven for 3 hours, longer if needed.
- Once pork is tender, remove it from Dutch Oven and move to a sheet pan. * HINT: Save the remaining braising liquid for other uses.
- Using 2 forks, shred the meat and pour enough braising liquid over the shreds to almost cover them.
- Turn the oven up to broil. HINT: Don’t multi-task this step, it goes from golden crispy to burnt and inedible very quickly.
- Return the meat on the sheet pan to the oven and broil on high until browned and crispy. Don’t multi task this step, it goes from golden crispy to burnt and inedible very quickly.
HINT
- If using an Instapot (instead of oven), use Saute to sear the pork, then set Sealing and High Pressure, cook for 30 minutes and finish with Natural Release.
