Pork Carnitas Hash Recipe
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
Roasted Yukon Gold Potatoes
Vegetable Mixture (Caramelized Onions + Poblanos)
Ranchero Salsa (on the side)
Finish & Garnish
Method
Slow-Cooked Pork Carnitas
- 1
Prepare oven or slow cooker
Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C) if braising in oven, or prepare a slow cooker.
- 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
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
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
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
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
- 7
- 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.
- 9
Vegetable Mixture (Caramelized Onions + Poblanos)
- 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.
- 11
- 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)
- 13
- 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.
- 15
Assemble Hash & Finish
- 16
- 17
- 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.
- 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.