Miracles, and Weeknight Carnitas, Really Do Exist
Unlike the Lochness Monster, weeknight carnitas are a very real thing. Yes, you heard me right: “Weeknight” and “carnitas’ in the same sentence. Using her genius Instant Pot technique, BA Test Kitchen manager Gaby Melian gives us super flavorful, super shreddy, super crisped-up porky tacos for a crowd in a little over an hour. Here are a few things to know.
Don’t Freak Out, But You Don’t Need Liquid
Every Instant Pot manual will tell you that you absolutely need to add liquid to whatever you’re pressure cooking. No matter what! That makes sense, because liquid = steam = pressure. But when you’re cooking something that will release tons of its own liquid as it comes to pressure, you actually don’t need to throw in any extra water, broth, beer, whatever. For this recipe, the three pounds of boneless, skinless pork shoulder releases enough liquid (read: juicy faaaat) that the meat essentially self-steams. All that pork—plus garlic, jalapeños, salt, dried oregano, black pepper, ground coriander, and ground cumin—takes around 15 minutes to come to pressure, and then you’re cooking on high for a mere 35 minutes, instead of the one to two hours it normally takes on the stove.
It’s All in the Crisp
Carnitas are not carnitas if they aren’t crispy. And, unfortunately, that’s one thing the Instant Pot can’t achieve for you. When those 35 minutes are up, you’ll notice that your pile of shreddable pork is sitting in its own fatty, garlicky, spiced juices. But don’t even THINK about tossing out that liquid gold. I almost made that devastating mistake because I thought letting the meat soak in it would make my carnitas soupy. I was wrong. This is your ticket to frying. You need these juices to reach proper crispness in a non-stick pan, because most of it is fat anyway.
Yes, You Can Make This Ahead
Because you’re cooking the meat in two parts, you can split up the total hour or so of total work over two days. Just put all the shredded meat in a covered bowl in the fridge, and break it out for crisping when taco time approaches. Oh, and just in case you’re impatient like me, the un-crisped pork makes a very good late-night snack. Just saying.
The Toppings
Carnitas are a great excuse for tons of toppings. Here’s a running list of quick-and-easy things to serve alongside your tacos: pickled onions, regular chopped onions, limes, avocado, cilantro, pico de gallo, guacamole, crema, and shredded cabbage. Choose your own adventure: It's all going to be damn delicious.
Get the recipe:
Instant Pot Pork Carnitas
Originally Appeared on Bon Appétit
