Carnitas Bowls
Whenever I need a crowd-pleaser, Carnitas Bowls are one of my top go to recipes! That being said, we are mid-week through a family vacation in Mexico. It started with a continuation of my birthday and is ending with my brother’s wedding. All in all, not a bad week. Needless to say, my love of Mexican cuisine is in over-drive at the moment. I can’t wait to get home and get back into the kitchen with some new recipes I’ve learned. Along the way, I did a Mexican cooking class and learned about a few amazing new peppers. I may have perfected my guacamole recipe as well, so stay tuned!
I cook a lot of Mexican inspired dishes at our house. Although my husband is Greek and Spanish and I am half Kiwi and half a bunch of other stuff, living in California, you can’t pass it up. It’s always readily available and it’s always delicious. The freshness, the flavors and so many dishes are so easy to prepare family style. Perfect for entertaining or serving a large group. Another reason I love Carnitas Bowls for serving a crowd is that you can put out a bunch of toppings. My most requested topping is my tomatillo salsa. It adds the perfect blend of spice and tartness! You can find the recipe on my website here. As I love to elevate everyday recipes, it’s just like Chipotle, only better!
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
6 hours
Total Time
6 hours 15 minutes
Course
Entree
Cuisine
Mexican
Servings
8 servings
Ingredients
4 lb. boneless pork shoulder
Pork Rub:
1 Tbsp. each cumin, coriander, Mexican oregano, 1 Tbsp. kosher salt and 1/2 Tbsp. black pepper
1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (divided for searing pork, shallow frying at the end)
1 Yellow Onion sliced
5 Garlic Cloves minced
1 chipotle in adobo, diced plus 1 Tbsp. of the adobo sauce
1 bay leaf
2 cups chicken stock
1 Red Onion sliced
1/2 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Sugar
1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt
5 Black Peppercorns
1 cup Warm Water
2 cups Basmati Rice
6 Corn Tortillas
Optional Toppings: Cotija Cheese, fresh chopped cilantro, avocado, lime wedges, pickled red onions, salsa
Instructions
Make the rub combining the first 5 dry ingredients and rub it on the pork shoulder.
Heat a large heavy bottomed Dutch oven over medium high heat and add 2-3 Tbsp. of EVOO.
Sear the pork shoulder on all sides, about 4-5 mins per side, remove.
In the same pot over medium heat, add sliced onions and garlic, cook for about 5 mins. Add chopped chipotle in adobo plus 1 Tbsp. of the adobo sauce, add the pork back in, add a bay leaf and chicken stock to cover about halfway up the pork.
Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for about 3 hours. After 1-1/2 hours, flip it over.
While pork is cooking, prepare the pickled onions. Combine the apple cider vinegar, warm water, sugar, black peppercorns and kosher salt in a bowl and stir to combine until the sugar and salt are dissolved, add in the sliced onions. Store in the fridge until you're ready to eat. If you have leftovers, store them in a mason jar in the fridge, they make a great topping for a salad or sandwich as well.
Cook the Basmati rice and keep warm until ready to serve.
Remove pork and shred into chunks, removing the fat cap and discarding, reserving some of the cooking liquid.
Slice some corn tortillas in thin strips and heat a cast iron over medium heat, adding EVOO to go up abut 1/2". Fry the tortilla strips for a few minutes on each side until golden brown. Remove to a paper towel lined plate and sprinkle with salt while still hot. Use the same oil to shallow fry the pork.
Take some of the pork and shallow fry in batches, turning once and removing to a platter. Add a ladle-full of the cooking liquid and cover to keep warm. Continue frying in batches until all of it has crisp edges.
To serve, add a scoop of rice to the bottom of each bowl, place everything out family style and let everyone build their own carnitas bowls! Serve with optional toppings of fresh cilantro, avocado, lime wedges, pickled onions, salsa, cotija cheese and corn tortilla strips.
