Beer-Braised Pork Carnitas is a dish that’s bursting with flavor. It's also and easy to prepare and will feed a lot of hungry people. A bone-in pork shoulder is slow-cooked to perfection in a Dutch oven ensuring that every bite is juicy and delicious. It’s a great choice for a cozy dinner or taco night with friends. This simple yet satisfying dish is sure to become a new favorite.
Which Cut of Meat to Use?
This particular cut of meat goes by more three different names like Boston butt, pork butt and pork shoulder. Don't let the name fool you, they are all the same thing.
Use a bone-in pork shoulder for pulled pork when the roast is smoked whole. The bone will literally fall out after cooking. Cook a boneless pork shoulder if the meat is going to be cut into cubes before cooking. For carnitas tacos, go boneless. It's just too much work to trim out and remove the bone before cooking.
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Ingredients
- Boneless pork shoulder
- Bacon slices, cut in half
- Mexican oregano
- Cumin
- Black pepper
- Kosher salt
- Red pepper flakes or chopped dried chile de árbol
- Dark Mexican beer like Negra Medelo
- Water
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Carnitas is easily made in a large Dutch oven by searing the meat first, then adding cooking liquid and braising it in a 350°F oven for 2 hours. After 2 hours, the pork is seared until crispy and then served.
Trim the Pork Shoulder
To prepare the boneless pork shoulder for cooking, start by trimming off any silver skin and some of the big pieces of fat. If the pork should has a fat cap, trim it down to about a quarter inch or remove it completely. Then, cut the pork shoulder into 1-2 inch cubes and season it with salt.
Cut the boneless pork shoulder into large chunks, about 1-2 inch pieces.
In a large, 6 quart Dutch oven over medium heat, heat two tablespoons of vegetable oil. Next, add the bacon and cook until just softened, which should take around 5 minutes.
Braise the Pork Shoulder
Then, add the pork shoulder and lightly brown it on all sides, approximately 10 minutes. Once the pork is nicely browned, it's time to enhance the flavors. Pour in beer and water as needed, usually around 1 cup, to ensure the pork is almost fully submerged.
Sprinkle in oregano, cumin, black pepper, salt, and dried chiles to infuse the meat with delicious seasonings. Stir the mixture well to evenly distribute the spices.
Now, bring the mixture to a boil then cover the Dutch oven with a lid and transfer it to the preheated oven. Allow the pork shoulder to cook undisturbed for about 2 hours until it reaches a tender, melt-in-your-mouth consistency.
Sear the Carnitas Meat
After the carnitas meat has braised for a few hours, sear it in a large frying pan over medium-high heat with a little vegetable oil or even lard. Press down on the carnitas with a spatula or cover the meat with a cast iron burger press. This helps maximize the contact between the meat and the hot pan, resulting in a better sear. Turn the pieces once every minute to sear all sides. Serve carnitas with fresh homemade corn tortillas.
Variations
It is recommended to use a dark Mexican beer like Negra Modelo for the best flavor infusion. Carnitas are also great braised in a water with a little orange juice, some lime juice and even Coca Cola.
Equipment
A large Dutch oven makes this recipe easy. It's perfect for braising the chunks of pork. I used a 4.5 quart Staub Dutch oven for a 6 pound pork shoulder and it was perfect. This recipe can also be done in a slow cooker, but it would take longer because of the lower temperature. A slow cooker will not get up to 350°F.
Storage
Store cooked, unseared, carnitas in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Simply sear them as mentioned above for perfect leftover carnitas. If you need some great ideas for using leftover carnitas, try my recipes for carnitas nachos, carnitas empanadas and carnitas pizza.
Top Tip
It is important to ensure there is sufficient braising liquid in the pot, initially with the liquid almost entirely covering the pork pieces. Check the liquid level halfway through cooking and add water if needed.
Related
Here is a selection of Mexican-inspired recipes with carnitas to tantalize your taste buds:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with this recipe.
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📖 Recipe
Best Beer Braised Carnitas Recipe
Equipment
- 1 4 quart Dutch oven
Ingredients
- 3 tbs vegetable oil divided
- 5 lbs boneless pork shoulder trimmed and cut into 1” chunks
- 12 oz bacon slices, cut in half
- 2 teaspoon Mexican oregano dried
- 2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
- 2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoon red pepper flakes or chopped dried chile de árbol
- 1 12 oz dark Mexican beer like Negra Medelo
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Heat two tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until just softened (about 3 minutes). Add the pork shoulder and lightly brown on all sides (about 10 minutes).
- Add beer and water as needed (about 3 cups) until the pork pieces are almost fully submerged. Add the oregano, cumin black pepper, salt and dried chiles. Stir to distribute the spices. Bring the mixture to a boil, then cover and place in the oven until tender (about 2 hours). Stir every 30 minutes.
- Carefully remove the pieces of pork and discard the bacon.
- Heat a tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork pieces to the pan and sear on all sides. Press down with a spatula or weight it down with a cast-iron grill press. Cook until crisp and lightly browned (about 5 minutes) Turn over the pieces every 1-2 minutes.
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