Jul 14 2026
RestaurantsBassett Street Brunch ClubPork Carnitas Hash Recipe

Pork Carnitas Hash Recipe

Time4h
Serves8

slow-cooked pork, roasted yukon gold potatoes, caramelized onions, poblano peppers, with ranchero salsa on the side

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Ingredients

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Slow-Cooked Pork Carnitas

Vegetable Mixture (Caramelized Onions + Poblanos)

Method

Slow-Cooked Pork Carnitas

  1. 1

    Prepare oven or slow cooker

    Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C) if braising in oven, or prepare a slow cooker.

  2. 2

    Season pork

    Pat pork pieces dry and season all over with 2 tsp kosher salt, 1 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp ground cumin and 1 tsp dried oregano.

  3. 3

    Sear pork

    Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Sear pork pieces in batches, browning all sides (2–3 minutes per side). Transfer seared pieces to a plate.

  4. 4

    Deglaze and combine

    In the same pot, add the smashed garlic and quartered onion and sauté briefly to deglaze, scraping up brown bits. Return pork to the pot, add orange juice, lime juice, and 2 bay leaves. Add enough water to just come halfway up the meat if needed (about 1/2–1 cup).

  5. 5

    Braise

    Bring to a simmer, cover, and either transfer to the oven and braise at 300°F (150°C) for 3–3½ hours, or cook on low in a slow cooker for 6–7 hours, until pork is very tender and shreds easily.

  6. 6

    Shred and crisp

    When pork is tender, remove meat to a large tray and shred with two forks, discarding bay leaves and any large pieces of fat. Reserve 1 cup of the braising liquid. For crisp carnitas, spread shredded pork on a rimmed baking sheet, drizzle with 2–3 tablespoons of reserved cooking liquid and roast under a hot broiler or in a 450°F (230°C) oven for 8–12 minutes until edges are deeply browned and crisp. Alternatively, crisp in a hot skillet with a little oil in batches.

Roasted Yukon Gold Potatoes

  1. 7

    Preheat oven

    Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C) and line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment or lightly oil it.

  2. 8

    Season potatoes

    Toss the cubed Yukon Gold potatoes with 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp kosher salt and 1 tsp black pepper until evenly coated.

  3. 9

    Roast potatoes

    Spread potatoes in a single layer on the sheet pan and roast for 25–30 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until golden and tender. Remove from oven and keep warm.

Vegetable Mixture (Caramelized Onions + Poblanos)

  1. 10

    Heat fat in skillet

    While potatoes roast and pork braises, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and 2 tablespoons unsalted butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat.

  2. 11

    Caramelize onions

    Add thinly sliced onions and 1 tsp salt. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally, for 20–25 minutes until deeply golden and caramelized. If onions brown too quickly, reduce heat and add a splash of water.

  3. 12

    Cook poblanos with onions

    Increase heat to medium, add poblano strips and 1 tsp black pepper. Sauté with the caramelized onions for 6–8 minutes until poblanos are softened and slightly blistered. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Ranchero Salsa (on the side)

  1. 13

    Prepare to roast

    Preheat a cast-iron skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. Lightly oil the tomatoes and jalapeño (optional) with 1 tsp vegetable oil.

  2. 14

    Char vegetables

    Place halved tomatoes (cut side down), jalapeño and the whole garlic clove on the hot surface. Char until tomatoes are blackened on the cut side and the jalapeño is blistered, about 4–6 minutes. Flip the garlic after 2–3 minutes so it softens but does not burn.

  3. 15

    Blend salsa

    Transfer the charred vegetables to a blender or food processor. Add the chopped white onion, cilantro, lime juice, 1 tsp kosher salt and 1 tsp black pepper. Pulse to a coarse salsa consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning. Chill or serve at room temperature.

Assemble Hash & Finish

  1. 16

    Crisp potatoes

    Heat a large heavy skillet or griddle over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons neutral oil. Add the roasted potatoes and spread into an even layer. Let them sit undisturbed for 2–3 minutes to develop some crust.

  2. 17

    Combine vegetables with potatoes

    Add the caramelized onions and poblano mixture to the potatoes and fold together, pressing down gently. Cook for another 2–3 minutes to marry flavors.

  3. 18

    Add pork to hash

    Stir in shredded, crispy pork carnitas (enough to distribute evenly — about all of it or to taste). Press the mixture into the pan and cook 3–4 minutes more until bottom gets a little crisp and pork is heated through.

  4. 19

    Garnish and serve

    Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Transfer hash to a buffet tray or platter. Sprinkle chopped cilantro and crumbled cotija or queso fresco over the top and serve with lime wedges and ranchero salsa on the side.

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