Best Beer Braised Carnitas
Carnitas made from pork shoulder that is braised in beer then pan fried until crispy.
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.
Video
Nutrition
Serving: 8ozCalories: 406kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 46gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 132mgSodium: 685mgPotassium: 800mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 0.05gVitamin A: 121IUVitamin C: 0.04mgCalcium: 27mgIron: 2mg
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