Pork Loin Carnitas

Making Pork Loin Carnitas is a great way to use up a pork loin. The leaner cut of meat gets fall-apart tender in a spicy and savory braising liquid.

What Is Carnitas?

I love any kind of pulled pork. And carnitas are no exception. Carnitas are a Mexican dish made up of braised and pulled pork with some spices. Traditional carnitas are actually braised in lard, but I use a mixture of oil, broth, citrus, and chipotles for an incredible flavor.

Most typically, people use pork shoulder to make carnitas because of the fat content. Pork loin comes from the side of the rib and is much learner than a pork shoulder. I love to roast pork loin, but I really like using it for carnitas because you get a meatier texture.

Making Pork Loin Carnitas

Because pork loin has less fat than pork shoulder, I make sure to sear the meat well to lock in moisture and add plenty of braising liquid to the pork so that it gets fall-apart tender and has plenty of juice to soak up.

Speaking of braising, this simply means that you sear a piece of meat, add liquid to the searing pot, and the meat finishes cooking in the liquid. With larger cuts of meat, like pork loin, the pot is often covered and placed in a preheated oven to finish the cooking process. This is what I do with the carnitas.

The pork loin is seared in oil and then I add chicken stock, fresh orange juice, fresh lime juice, and a whole can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce to the pot. I cover the pot and place it into my oven which has been preheated to 350°F. The pork braises in the chipotle flavored liquid for 2-3 hours, or until tender.

After the meat is able to be shredded with two forks, I sometimes stop there. But, if I want more texture, I spread the meat out onto a sheet pan and place it under the broiler for 2-3 minutes to get crispy.

The carnitas meat is great in tacos, on taco salad, in a burrito, or even in quesadillas. How will you enjoy your pork carnitas?

Pork Loin Carnitas

★★★★★

5 from 2 reviews

• Author: Christine Pittman
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 3 hours
• Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes
• Yield: 6–8 servings 1x
• Category: Entrée
• Method: Braised
• Cuisine: Mexican

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DESCRIPTION

Making Pork Loin Carnitas is a great way to use up a pork loin. The leaner cut of meat gets fall-apart tender in a spicy and savory braising liquid.

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Ingredients

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• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 3 lb. pork loin
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 orange, juiced
• 1 lime, juiced
• 7 oz. can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• Salt and pepper to taste

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or skillet over a burner turned to medium-high heat.
3. Sear the pork loin on each side, about 4 minutes per side, until a crust has formed.
4. Turn the burner off and add the stock, orange juice, lime juice, and the can of chipotles to the Dutch oven, or transfer the seared loin to a casserole dish and top with the ingredients listed above.
5. Place the lid on the Dutch oven, or cover the casserole dish with foil, and place in the preheated oven for 2-3 hours. When you can pull apart the pork with a fork, it is done.
6. Taste and add salt and pepper if desired, but I often find that the canned chipotles add enough seasoning.
7. If a crispy carnita is desired, spread the pork out on to a sheet pan and turn the oven to high broil.
8. Broil for 2-3 minutes, until a crust has formed on the meat. Watch carefully so the pork doesn’t burn.
9. Serve in tacos, burritos, quesadillas, or on taco salad.