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Carnitas Instantpot
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
40 mins
Total Time
55 mins
 
Jayne and I have different approaches to all of our Cinco de Mayo Celebration foods. I decided to use an Instantpot to make my carnitas this time. It worked out really well took less than one hour from start to tasting delectable morsels of very tender pork.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Cal-Mex
Servings: 8
Author: Barbara
Ingredients
  • 2 # Pork butt or shoulder roast
  • 1 tbls olive oil
  • 1 cup orange juice
  • 1 lime juiced
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 4 cloves fresh garlic crushed
  • 1 tsp dry oregano or a handful of fresh chopped
  • Salt and Pepper
Instructions

  1. Cut the pork roast into large slices removing about ½ of the fat. The remaining fat will render. Rub the spices into the meat, lightly salt and pepper at the end.

  2. Turn the Instantpot on saute. When the pot says that it’s “hot,” put the meat in the pot and brown both sides, putting the browned meat to the side and adding the rest of the slices so that all of the pieces are nicely browned. Each side takes about 2 minutes. Turn Instantpot off.
  3. Toss the remaining spices, garlic and bay leaf onto the browned pork.
  4. Poor the juices over the pork. See note. Salt and pepper liberally.
  5. Close the lid on the Instantpot or pressure cooker, press “pressure cook, check to see that it is on high, check to see that the lid is secure and the release valve is turned to closed. Set for 40 minutes (30 will do). See note.
  6. When the Instantpot chimes that it is complete, it will start the depressurizing session. Turn the pot off. Allow the pot to depressurize naturally (the little valve will release when it’s done). You can hurry this step, by reading the Instantpot instructions and after 10-15 minutes depressurize manually.

  7. At this point you could refrigerate the juices or let them stand so that you can easily scoop off the rendered pork fat, leaving behind mostly just the juices. This is an optional step. Remove the bay leaf. 

  8. Remove most of the fat from the pot and in its own fat, brown the pork on saute, while the carnitas broth is chilling. This is an optional step, you don’t need to brown the meat.
  9. Remove the meat.
  10. Turn the Instantpot on saute and reduce the juices to about ½” or less depending on how moist you want the pork to be.
  11. Combine the sauce with the meat, shredding the meat.
  12. Serve with Tortillas, Guacamole and Salsa

Recipe Notes

Note I used an orange, a blood orange, a lemon and a lime in the carnitas I made for these pictures, because they were in my fruit bowl. Use the fruit that you have, plus a lime or use bottled orange juice and a lime. If you don’t have an Instantpot or pressure cooker, you can make these in a large cast iron pot with a lid, cooking on low for about 2 hours, until the liquid is cooked down to about 1”. Then remove the juices, turn the heat on high allowing the pork to brown in its own fat. Remove and shred the meat. You don’t need much moisture added to be pork because the Instantpot retains all of the juice and creates its own. Serve with your favorite Corralitos Brewing Company Beer