Pressure Cooker Carnitas

When I was in New York my friend was gifted a pressure cooker, and it was by association, a huge gift to me because I have been dying to use one. When excitedly scouring the web for cooking inspiration; I stumbled upon instant pot carnitas. This recipe was easy and delicious and pairs well on warm tortillas or over Mexican yellow rice with lots of toppings (great for meal prep). Enjoy!

If you buy and learn how to use an instant pot; I promise it will make your life significantly easier. A pressure cooker cuts down on the time and work of traditional recipes to a fraction. Instead of 8 hours it only takes 1 hour to get this juicy, tender, and flavorful beef carnitas. Perfect for a night that you want a protein-filled meal with little work.

Ingredients:

Carnitas mojo sauce

• 1 cup chicken stock

• 1 (4-pound) boneless pork shoulder, excess fat trimmed and cut into 3-inch chunks

• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

• 6 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 teaspoons dried oregano

• 2 teaspoons chili powder

• 2 teaspoons brown sugar

• 1 teaspoon paprika

• 1 teaspoon basil

• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

• salt & pepper to taste

Tacos

• Small corn or flour tortillas

• Fresh cilantro

• 1 lime, sliced

• 1 avocado, thinly sliced

• 1/4 red or white onion chopped

• Jalapeño chopped (optional)

Instructions:

1. In a mixing bowl combine the mojo sauce ingredients and set aside.

2. Season the pork with salt and pepper. Set the pressure cooker to "Saute". Sear the pork in the instant pot, turning every minute until all sides are browned. Avoid crowding the pan & instead sear in batches. Transfer seared pork to a clean plate.

3. Once all the pork is browned, transfer back into the Instant Pot. Pour in the mojo sauce & toss to combine well.

4. Cook on high for 30 minutes & follow with a natural release (roughly 15 minutes).

5. Once the pork is done, remove it from the instant pot and shred it with two forks. Transfer to a large baking sheet and set your oven to broil. Broil the pork for 5 minutes then take it out of the oven and pour half of the juices that were left in the Instant Pot. Broil for an additional 5 minutes or until desired crispiness (careful to not let it burn). When the pork is out of the oven, ladle the remaining juices over it.

6. Serve on a warm tortilla with chopped onion, cilantro, tomato, and avocado, or opt for a rice bowl. Enjoy!