Instant Pot Carnitas -A Delicious Mexican Pulled Pork Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between pork carnitas and pulled pork? ›

Pulled Pork. Both carnitas and pulled pork are cooked slowly for several hours, and great to make in the slow cooker or instant pot. Unlike pulled pork, however, carnitas are finished by roasting the meat in the oven until browned and crisp.

Pork carnitas have a few extra steps after the meat is fully cooked. You'll reduce the cooking liquid until syrupy and pour it over the small pieces of meat. Once coated, the meat caramelizes under a broiler until crispy edges form. This end treatment is what gives Carnitas Meat such a loyal following!

Slow cooking the meat means it never has the chance to toughen up and will be extra silky and tender. Pressure cooking is faster, though you may lose a little bit of the tenderness. If you're going for the pressure cook method, be sure to get a pork shoulder or pork butt, as opposed to a pork loin.

While it is possible to overcook pulled pork in the Instant Pot, it's very unlikely if you are using pork shoulder or butt. The pork should get more tender the longer it cooks. If using pork loin, which is leaner, you can overcook it.

Why Do You Put Orange Juice in Carnitas? The orange juice in the cooking liquid provides acidity that helps break down the meat so it's extra tender and juicy. It also adds a hint of citrus flavor that perfectly compliments the slow cooker pork.

Then we use the usual suspects! Black pepper, cumin, sweet paprika but you can use hot or smoked if you desire, onion and garlic powder, oregano, marjoram, bay, thyme and in my case a bit of ancho chili powder.

Adding the oranges is very much like braising pork Cuban-style for the traditional cubano sandwich. The milk acts as a tenderizer, a secret I learned while growing up watching dad make his carnitas which, by the way, were always exceptionally tender.

They are braised until they are fall apart tender. Then they get roasted in the oven to make the outside crisp. So part of them should be soft, and part of the outside should be crusty. Some recipes don't crisp up the meat at the end but authentic carnitas should be crispped.

Absolutely! Searing the meat before adding it to the slow cooker helps the meat to be even more flavorful and helps the texture of the meat to be much better. After seasoning the two pork tenderloins with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, you are going to want to sear them in olive oil.

If you find that your instapot pulled pork is tough after cooking, it's likely because you did a quick pressure release instead of a natural pressure release. Make sure you do a natural pressure release for 2 minutes before opening the vent.

What is the best liquid to cook pulled pork in? ›

Transfer everything to a large slow cooker and add a splash of liquid — water is great, but so is broth, apple juice, or beer if you have them handy. Cover and cook on low until the meat is tender and pulls apart easily.

What Happens If You Overcook Pork in an Instant Pot? Overcooked pork can turn into a dry and tough mess. Once the meat is cooked beyond its optimal temperature, it loses most of its natural moisture and becomes dry and tasteless. The texture of the meat changes, and it becomes stringy and tough.

Carnitas doneness temps

The connective tissue needs to be heated to at least 170°F (77°C) to start to dissolve properly. If pulled at 145°F (63°C), pork shoulder will be inedibly tough. Most smoked pork shoulders are pulled in the temperature range of 195-205°F (91-96°C), and the same temperature will apply here.

The go to choices are a version of coleslaw, mac & cheese, cornbread, baked beans. However, you can pretty much do anything you would normally do for pork. Honestly, I love doing a jalapeno cornbread, whole baby potatoes with butter, sea salt & parsley, and a broccoli slaw. Shakes it up a bit but is still so awesome.

However, if the pork is cooked too long, it may become dry and hard instead of tender. When the internal temperature of the meat reaches 210 degrees F or more, the muscle fibers become tougher, and the meat becomes dry and chewy.

Every tortilla dreams of being stuffed with Carnitas. Picture seasoned pork slow-cooked into tender submission, gently shredded and pan-fried to golden, crispy perfection. Carnitas has that elusive combination of juicy and crispy that's so irresistible.

Pork shoulder is ideal for pulling purposes. It has an optimum fat content that yields to create tender, melty meat, but it's essential you cook it slowly to allow the protein to break down properly.

Customary bar-b-que Pulled Pork: Slow-cooked pork shoulder or butt, commonly prepared with a dry rub, and afterward covered in bar-b-que sauce. It's not unexpected served on a bun with coleslaw. 2. Carolina Pulled Pork: A Carolina-style variety includes a vinegar-based sauce with a tart and somewhat hot flavor.

Pork shoulder: Traditionally, carnitas is made with pork shoulder (also known as pork butt) because of its higher fat content. The fat helps to keep the meat extremely juicy and tender while cooking.