Sous vide Carnitas

Have a hankering for carnitas? Well, let me tell you that cooking it sous vide style will blow your mind! When cooking for one, portion control is the toughest aspect. If you make too much, you either fall prey to over-eating or having to ‘enjoy’ that same dish numerous days in a row or eventually you end up throwing the extras out as waste. Carnitas is a dish that I have not typically made since it involves cooking a pork shoulder for a long time over moderate heat. The results are wonderful, but it makes too much for one person in my opinion. Today, I used sous vide to help me overcome that issue while using a lean cut of pork. And the results were amazing. Check out the recipe and pictures below to see how I did it. I think you will want to begin cooking sous vide to enjoy meals like this one. So now let’s get that water bath up to temp!

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Sous vide Carnitas

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 8 hours 15 mins

Total time: 8 hours 30 mins

Serves: 1

Ingredients

8 oz pork loin 'brisket'
½ tsp mexican oregano
½ tsp cumin
1 large garlic clove, sliced thinly
¼ onion, sliced thinly
½ lime, sliced into ¼ inch slices and halved
½ orange, sliced into ¼ inch slices and halved
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
1½ tbsp shortening
2 tsp canola oil
1 tsp butter
1 green onion, sliced
2 - 3 radishes, sliced thinly
3 napa cabbage leaves, main stem removed and sliced

Instructions

Heat the water bath to 176 degrees.
Sprinkle the oregano, cumin, salt and pepper on both sides of the pork.
Place the shortening, onion and garlic in the bottom of the bag.
Add the meat and then the lime and orange slices.
Vacuum seal the bag and place into the water bath.
Cook for 8 hours, covering the water bath with plastic wrap to minimize evaporation.
After 8 hours, open the bag and remove the pork to a clean bowl.
Strain the juices into a measuring cup and discard the solids (onion, garlic, lime and orange slices).
Shred the pork using 2 forks.
Heat a small saucepan or skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the reserved juices to the small pan and reduce to ⅓.
Add the butter and remove from heat, whisking the butter to create a rich sauce.
To make crisped carnitas:
Heat a large skillet or wok over high/medium-high heat.
Add the canola oil to the large skillet, swirling to coat the inside.
When shimmering, add the pork and fry to crisp some of the edges.
Toss or turn the meat frying to desired crispness.
To finish and serve:
Drizzle the reduced sauce and sprinkle green onions over the meat prior to serving.
Serve with tortillas, cabbage, radishes, and guacamole.

Notes

The base recipe comes from Anova Culinary.

Heat the water bath to 176 degrees. Sprinkle the oregano, cumin, salt and pepper on both sides of the pork. Place the shortening, onion and garlic in the bottom of the bag. Add the meat and then the lime and orange slices. Vacuum seal the bag and place into the water bath. Cook for 8 hours, covering the water bath with plastic wrap to minimize evaporation.

After 8 hours, open the bag and remove the pork to a clean bowl. Strain the juices into a measuring cup and discard the solids (onion, garlic, lime and orange slices). Shred the pork using 2 forks.

Heat a small saucepan or skillet over medium-high heat. Add the reserved juices to the small pan and reduce to 1/3. Add the butter and remove from heat, whisking the butter to create a rich sauce.

To make crisped carnitas:
Heat a large skillet or wok over high/medium-high heat. Add the canola oil to the large skillet, swirling to coat the inside. When shimmering, add the pork and fry to crisp some of the edges.Toss or turn the meat frying to desired crispness.
Drizzle the reduced sauce and sprinkle green onions over the meat prior to serving.
Serve with tortillas, cabbage, radishes, and guacamole.