Carnitas Mac ‘n’ Cheese Bowl Recipe
our cheesy mac ‘n’ cheese tossed with our slow roasted pulled pork carnitas, drizzled with our chipotle aioli
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Ingredients
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Carnitas (slow-roasted pulled pork)
Mac 'n' Cheese
Chipotle Aioli & Garnish
Method
Carnitas (slow-roasted pulled pork)
- 1
Prep and season pork
Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C). Pat pork shoulder pieces dry. In a small bowl combine olive oil, orange juice, lime juice, stock, minced garlic, cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Rub the mixture over the pork, place pork in a heavy Dutch oven or roasting pan, nestle bay leaves around pieces and pour any remaining liquid into the pan.
- 2
Slow roast
Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid or aluminum foil and roast for 3 to 3½ hours, or until pork is fork-tender and easily pulls apart. Halfway through cooking, baste pork with pan juices. If the liquid becomes too low, add up to ½ cup extra stock or water to keep moist.
- 3
Pull and crisp (optional)
Remove pork and let rest 10 minutes. Shred pork with two forks, discard bay leaves, and mix with 1/2 cup of pan juices to keep moist. For crisped carnitas, spread shredded pork on a rimmed baking sheet and broil on high for 3–6 minutes, stirring once, until edges are golden and slightly crisped.
Mac 'n' Cheese
- 4
Cook pasta
Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Cook the pasta until 1 minute shy of package directions for al dente (usually about 7–8 minutes for elbows). Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water, then drain and set aside.
- 5
- 6
Add cheeses and seasonings
Reduce heat to low and whisk in cream cheese until smooth. Add shredded cheddars and Monterey Jack in batches, stirring until melted and smooth. Stir in Dijon, hot sauce (if using), salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. If sauce is too thick, add reserved pasta water 1–4 tbsp at a time to reach a silky, clingy consistency.
- 7
Combine pasta and sauce
Add drained pasta to the cheese sauce and toss gently until evenly coated. Taste and adjust seasoning. Keep warm over very low heat, stirring occasionally, while finishing carnitas and aioli.
Chipotle Aioli & Finish
- 8
Make aioli
In a bowl combine mayonnaise, finely minced chipotle pepper, adobo sauce, lime juice, minced garlic, honey, and ¼ tsp salt. Whisk until smooth and taste — adjust lime, honey, or adobo to balance heat and acidity. Chill until ready to serve.
- 9
Assemble bowls
Divide mac 'n' cheese among 4 serving bowls (about 2 cups finished mac per bowl). Top each bowl with about ½ cup to ¾ cup of pulled carnitas (adjust to preference). Drizzle 1 to 2 tablespoons of chipotle aioli over each bowl in a zigzag. Sprinkle chopped cilantro and diced red onion over the top and finish with a light pinch of smoked paprika.
- 10
Serve
Serve immediately with lime wedges on the side for squeezing over carnitas. Leftovers: store carnitas and mac and cheese separately; reheat together gently and re-emulsify aioli if needed.