Sous Vide Carnitas
A long, slow cook time makes this shredded pork tender, while a trip under the broiler adds crispy, flavorful edges. These carnitas are perfect for tacos, but also great with BBQ sauce on a bun, as a topping on pizza, or mixed with hoisin sauce for Chinese bao buns.
Ingredients
- 4 pounds boneless pork butt (or pork shoulder)
- 1 medium onion (cut into quarters)
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1 orange (skin on, cut into eighths)
- 1 cinnamon stick (broken into 2-3 pieces)
- 2 bay leaves
- 5 whole cloves
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl. Stick the cloves into the onion pieces so they're easy to remove later. Season generously with salt and pepper, toss to combine.
- Transfer the mixture to a large vacuum bag or resealable plastic gallon bag and seal tightly, pressing all the air out to prevent it from floating.
- Fill cooking basin with water, attach the sous vide, and set to 165°F.
- Place vacuum sealed bag in the water bath so that it’s fully submerged. The water will evaporate as it cooks, so make sure there’s an extra 2-3″ of water above the bag, or add more water while it’s cooking. Loosely covering the top of the basin with aluminum foil will help any evaporated water return to the bath and reduce the amount of water loss during cooking.
- Cook for 18-24 hours. The meat will be fully cooked by 12 hours and can be removed then, but at 18-24 hours the flavor and tenderness will be at its peak.
- Remove the bag from the water bath. Transfer the pork to a large sheet pan, and transfer the aromatics and remaining juices to a small sauce pot.
- Place the small sauce pot on the stove over medium-high heat and bring to a rolling boil to reduce.
- Shred the meat using two forks or your hands, then place in the oven on the top rack under your broiler for 10 minutes, flipping and stirring the pieces halfway through. NOTE: If you don’t have a broiler, place the sheet pan on the top rack of your oven at 500°F degrees.
- When the liquid in the pot has reduced by about half and the carnitas have come out of the oven, pour the liquid through a strainer into the sheet pan with the carnitas and toss to coat.
RECIPE NOTES
- Adapted from: https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2017/01/sous-vide-carnitas-crispy-mexican-style-pulled-pork-recipe.html
- Carnitas can be made up to 5 days in advance and kept in an airtight container in the fridge. Carnitas can also be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
- If you can’t find exactly 4 pounds of pork, ask at the meat counter of your grocery story. They can often cut exactly the amount you need. If you buy a bone-in cut, add at least half a pound of weight to account for the bone being removed before cooking.