Sous Vide Carnitas
One of my favorite gifts I received this Christmas was a sous-vide tool. Even though I feel like I’ve cooked almost everything, I can now cook food in a completely new way and produce different results. So, although I’ve made Carnitas many times, I’ve never made them like this. These Sous Vide Carnitas are juicy and crunchy in a whole new way. Top them with your favorite taco toppings and you’ll have a showstopper!
I found this recipe online from Serious Eats via The Food Lab and my version is very close to the original. I always make a recipe exactly as the chef intended the first time through. The only exception to this is if there’s an ingredient I don’t have or can’t find or if I have a strong aversion to one of the ingredients. Yes, back to my family eats what I eat. Sorry, but it’s true. Once I made this recipe and fell in love with it, I found that there were a few adjustments I would make, but not many.
For those of you wondering what the heck sous-vide cooking is, allow me to explain. Sous-vide is a French term that translates to “under vacuum”. Sous-vide cooking is a method of sealing food into a vacuum sealed bag and slow cooking it in a temperature controlled warm water bath. When it’s done, you sear it quickly to finish it off to add that last bit of flavor and color and serve. It produces results that cannot be replicated in any other manner. The first thing we cooked sous-vide were filet mignon steaks. They were better than any steak I have ever had in a restaurant and they were cooked to perfection.
When I saw this recipe for Sous Vide Carnitas, I knew I had to try it. The recipe is really very simple. Prepare the pork shoulder, get it in the sous-vide bath, shred it, put it under a broiler on a baking sheet and serve with your favorite toppings, easy! Next time you are cooking up a Mexican feast or you have a group of people over for a party or sporting event, these Sous Vide Carnitas are perfect!
Prep Time
30 minutes
Cook Time
9 hours
Total Time
10 hours
Course
Entree
Cuisine
Mexican
Servings
8 servings
Ingredients
1 4-5 lb. Boneless Pork Shoulder Sliced into chunks or 2" slabs
1 Tbsp. Onion Powder
1 Tbsp. Garlic Powder
1 Tbsp. Ground Cumin
1 Tbsp. Ground Coriander
1 Tbsp. Dried Oregano
1 Tbsp. Kosher Salt
1/2 Tbsp. Black Pepper
1 Chipotle in Adobo chopped plus 1 Tbs. of the sauce
4 Garlic Cloves smashed
2 Bay Leaves
2 Tablespoons EVOO
12 Tortillas for serving
3 Limes for topping
Cheese for topping
2 Radishes sliced thinly for topping
1/4 cup Fresh Cilantro for topping
Salsa for topping
Instructions
Set timer to 185F on sous vide and begin to preheat the warm water bath in a large pot.
Slice the pork shoulder into chunks or thick slabs, add to a large mixing bowl. Make the spice rub combining the first 8 ingredients. Add in 1 chopped Chipotle in Adobo, plus 1 Tbs. of the sauce (or more if you want more spice) and mix to combine completely.
Transfer pork, smashed garlic and bay leaves to a vacuum bag and seal in a single layer if possible. At this point, transfer the bag to the pot of water and start cooking. This can cook for 9-12 hours. Just be sure to keep an eye on the water level to check for evaporation and add more water as needed.
Remove bag from water bath, discard the bay leaves and begin shredding the meat with your hands or 2 forks. Check for seasoning. At this point, I added a little more salt and pepper, ground cumin, ground coriander and dried oregano.
Preheat the broiler and place a baking sheet in the oven to begin warming it so you can get it crisp quickly and retain the moisture. If you want, you could also do this step by adding oil to a cast iron and giving it some browning that way. Drizzle EVOO over the carnitas on the baking sheet. Cook for a few minutes, turning, until crisp all over. Keep an eye on them, they will brown quickly.
Serve with warm tortillas, sliced radishes, salsa, cheese, lime wedges and cilantro.Set timer to 185F on sous vide and begin to preheat the warm water bath in a large pot.
Slice the pork shoulder into chunks or thick slabs, add to a large mixing bowl. Make the spice rub combining the first 8 ingredients. Add in 1 chopped Chipotle in Adobo, plus 1 Tbs. of the sauce (or more if you want more spice) and mix to combine completely.
Transfer pork, smashed garlic and bay leaves to a vacuum bag and seal in a single layer if possible. At this point, transfer the bag to the pot of water and start cooking. This can cook for 9-12 hours. Just be sure to keep an eye on the water level to check for evaporation and add more water as needed.
Remove bag from water bath, discard the bay leaves and begin shredding the meat with your hands or 2 forks. Check for seasoning. At this point, I added a little more salt and pepper, ground cumin, ground coriander and dried oregano.
Preheat the broiler and place a baking sheet in the oven to begin warming it so you can get it crisp quickly and retain the moisture. If you want, you could also do this step by adding oil to a cast iron and giving it some browning that way. Drizzle EVOO over the carnitas on the baking sheet. Cook for a few minutes, turning, until crisp all over. Keep an eye on them, they will brown quickly.
Serve with warm tortillas, sliced radishes, salsa, cheese, lime wedges and cilantro.
Notes
*If you don't have a Food Saver or vacuum sealer, you can use a heavy-duty ziplock bag. Be sure to get as much air out as possible so that it will stay under water during the cooking process. Also be sure to keep the top sealed part above water to avoid any leakage. *If you find you need to weigh it down, you can use a binder clip to attach to a large metal knife or spoon to weigh it down from the bottom of the bag.