1980 minutes
Tender and flavorful pork carnitas cooked sous vide, then crisped to perfection.
Boneless Pork Shoulder, cut into 2-inch-thick slabs
0 lb
Medium Onion, roughly chopped
each
each
Cinnamon Stick, broken into 3 to 4 pieces
each
each
Medium Orange, peel intact
each
to taste
Warm Corn Tortillas
to serve
Lime Wedges
to serve
to serve
to serve
Charred Salsa Verde
to serve
1. Combine Ingredients
Combine the pork shoulder slabs, roughly chopped onion, garlic cloves, broken cinnamon stick, and bay leaves in a large bowl. Split the orange in half, squeeze the juice over the mixture, and then toss in the squeezed orange halves, peel intact. Generously season everything with kosher salt. Mix thoroughly.
2. Seal the Bag
Transfer the mixed ingredients into a vacuum bag, ensuring an even distribution of the components. Use a vacuum sealer to seal the bag tightly, removing as much air as possible.
3. Sous Vide Cooking
Preheat your sous vide immersion circulator in a water bath to 165°F (74°C). Once the water bath is ready, submerge the vacuum-sealed bag completely and cook for approximately 24 hours. Ensure the bag remains fully submerged throughout the cooking process.
4. Shred the Pork
After sous vide cooking is complete, carefully remove the bag from the water bath. Allow the pork to cool slightly if necessary. Shred the pork using forks or your fingers, spreading the meat evenly.
5. Crisp the Pork
Preheat your oven's broiler. Spread the shredded pork evenly on a rimmed baking sheet and place it under the broiler for about 10 minutes, or until the edges are browned and crisp. Alternatively, use a cast iron or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until the pork is crisp on most sides.
6. Serve
Serve the succulent pork carnitas with warm corn tortillas, lime wedges, chopped white onion, fresh cilantro leaves, and your favorite salsa, such as Charred Salsa Verde.
Replace the pork with beef chuck roast and use a blend of chipotle peppers, garlic, cumin, cloves, and lime juice to impart the rich flavors typical of barbacoa. This can be shredded for burritos or served with rice.
By swapping the pork with chicken breasts or thighs and adjusting the seasonings to include chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, tomatoes, and onions, you can create a flavorful Chicken Tinga that's perfect for tacos or tostadas.
Instead of a Mexican spice blend, marinate pork ribs in a sauce made from soy sauce, hoisin, garlic, ginger, and five-spice powder. After sous vide cooking, finish them under the broiler with a glaze for a sticky, sweet-and-savory dish.
Use lamb shoulder in place of pork and marinate with a combination of Middle Eastern spices such as cumin, paprika, turmeric, and allspice. This can be sliced thin and served in pita bread with yogurt sauce.
Although traditionally made by slow cooking in duck fat, you can apply the sous vide technique to duck legs with a rub of salt, garlic, and herbs. Once cooked, the duck can be finished by searing for a crispy skin.
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