Simple pulled pork carnitas

[T_R_Oglodyte]

Can't be easier than this.

Put a couple of pounds (or more) of pork roast or a marbled steaks in a crock pot. Add adobo sauce to taste. I like the stuff below. Let it simmer till the collagen dissolves - the meat falls off of the bone and breaks apart into pulled pork.

That's all there is to it. Use your carnitas in tacos or burritos, tostados. Serve it with eggs, on the side or add some to an omelette. Put it in a bun with some cheese and condiments and have it as a sandwich. Make a lot and freeze what you don't want to keep available right then. It stores wonderfully frozen.

First time I did this was after I came back from a store (might have been Costco) with a large amount of pork meat. It wasn't on my list, but the price was too good to pass up. I got it home and wondered what do I do with all of the meat? Sitting in the pantry was a jar of this sauce. I don't know where or when we bought it; it had been around for awhile. But I had the inspiration to throw it in the crock pot and cook it.

Turned out wonderfully. My only issues were that I thought it needed more sauce than we had, and I couldn't find adobo sauce in any of the stores we visited. Then one day I remembered that you can buy anything on Amazon. And there it was. So the next batch had plenty of adobo. I finished the last of that batch for lunch today - pork carnitas in a hot dog bun, with some pico de gallo, shredded cheese, and a some added cholula sauce.

 

[chellej]

I bought the sauce at costco....I can't remember what I made with it but didn't care for it so the sauce is out in my backup fridge in the garage. I'll have to try it with the pork

 

[KProuty]

We never had this sauce at our Costco!

 

[pedro47]

Can't be easier than this.

Put a couple of pounds (or more) of pork roast or a marbled steaks in a crock pot. Add adobo sauce to taste. I like the stuff below. Let it simmer till the collagen dissolves - the meat falls off of the bone and breaks apart into pulled pork.

That's all there is to it. Use your carnitas in tacos or burritos, tostados. Serve it with eggs, on the side or add some to an omelette. Put it in a bun with some cheese and condiments and have it as a sandwich. Make a lot and freeze what you don't want to keep available right then. It stores wonderfully frozen.


View attachment 32871

First time I did this was after I came back from a store (might have been Costco) with a large amount of pork meat. It wasn't on my list, but the price was too good to pass up. I got it home and wondered what do I do with all of the meat? Sitting in the pantry was a jar of this sauce. I don't know where or when we bought it; it had been around for awhile. But I had the inspiration to throw it in the crock pot and cook it.

Turned out wonderfully. My only issues were that I thought it needed more sauce than we had, and I couldn't find adobo sauce in any of the stores we visited. Then one day I remembered that you can buy anything on Amazon. And there it was. So the next batch had plenty of adobo. I finished the last of that batch for lunch today - pork carnitas in a hot dog bun, with some pico de gallo, shredded cheese, and a some added cholula sauce.

How long did you cook it In the crock pot ?
6 hours more or less.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

How long did you cook it In the crock pot ?
6 hours more or less.

I don't recall exactly, but it had to be at least that long.

 

[bluehende]

How long did you cook it In the crock pot ?
6 hours more or less.

Funny this shows up

This week our charitable meal is mac and cheese with pulled pork.

This is my easy recipe

We used a pork shoulder picnic 9 lbs

I put it on the grill for about an hour to get some char and browning. Turning frequently

I then put it in a crock pot with a little bbq for fluid.

It went overnight about 9 hrs at low. It was done at that point but we do not need it for another 3 so turned down to keep warm.

will lightly sauce for finishing.

Tip they make liners for crock pots that are a life saver for these type dishes.

 

[chellej]

We never had this sauce at our Costco!

I think what costco gets is regional.. Steve & I are both in Washington....maybe only costcos in western states had it

 

[Old Hickory]

To control the amount of sugar (in particular high fructose corn syrup), I make my own Chipolte BBQ sauce using a can of crushed tomatoes, 2 tablespoons of chipotle adobo sauce, and a tablespoon of amber honey (or amber agave nectar). Drink the tequila.

 

[Janann]

Tip they make liners for crock pots that are a life saver for these type dishes.

I was going to add the same comment. I cook a similar dish, but the meat is just cooked in water. Then I drain* the meat, shred it, and stir in the sauce.

*The easiest way to remove all the liquid is to put the meat in a casserole dish, remove the liner with the liquid to a cooking pot to let it cool, then dispose of it. Shred the meat in the casserole dish. Put a fresh liner in the crock pot, put the temp on low, then add the meat and sauce to the crock pot and stir.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

How long did you cook it In the crock pot ?
6 hours more or less.

Did another batch today, using 5 lbs of boneless tenderloin and one bottle of the adobo sauce.

Went into the crock pot about noon on high setting. The collagen is just starting to break down after 7 hours of cooking. That includes the couple of hours needed for the ingredients to reach boiling temperature in the crock pot. In a couple of hours I'll, turn the crock pot to low setting and let it finish overnight. Tomorrow if it still has too much liquid I'll take the lid off and let some of moisture cook off.

++++++

Added note: during the last hour, as the collagen has broken down, the meat is absorbing the liquid. So - in the early stages of cooking you should be wondering if you have too much liquid.

 

[AnnieBets]

I was going to add the same comment. I cook a similar dish, but the meat is just cooked in water. Then I drain* the meat, shred it, and stir in the sauce.

*The easiest way to remove all the liquid is to put the meat in a casserole dish, remove the liner with the liquid to a cooking pot to let it cool, then dispose of it. Shred the meat in the casserole dish. Put a fresh liner in the crock pot, put the temp on low, then add the meat and sauce to the crock pot and stir.

I save the liquid in fridge, skim off fat and use liquid for rice or soup. Rice is ridiculously rich tasting.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

After simmering overnight, I removed the carnitas from the crock pot first thing this morning. There was no more than two tablespoons of liquid in the bottom of the crock pot after scooping out the meat with a fork. Pretty much all of the liquid had moved into the meat. Which, of course, means that all of the adobo flavoring was now in the meat as well.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

Did another batch today, using 5 lbs of boneless tenderloin and one bottle of the adobo sauce.

Went into the crock pot about noon on high setting. The collagen is just starting to break down after 7 hours of cooking. That includes the couple of hours needed for the ingredients to reach boiling temperature in the crock pot. In a couple of hours I'll, turn the crock pot to low setting and let it finish overnight. Tomorrow if it still has too much liquid I'll take the lid off and let some of moisture cook off.

++++++

Added note: during the last hour, as the collagen has broken down, the meat is absorbing the liquid. So - in the early stages of cooking you should be wondering if you have too much liquid.

Should add that as the meat reached this point I sampled it and decided that it needed more adobo sauce, so I added a second bottle of the adobo. Definitely a good idea. So think my rule of thumb is going to be one bottle of adobo (12 oz), for 1-1/2 to 2 lbs. of meat.

 

[Glynda]

Did another batch today, using 5 lbs of boneless tenderloin and one bottle of the adobo sauce.

Went into the crock pot about noon on high setting. The collagen is just starting to break down after 7 hours of cooking. That includes the couple of hours needed for the ingredients to reach boiling temperature in the crock pot. In a couple of hours I'll, turn the crock pot to low setting and let it finish overnight. Tomorrow if it still has too much liquid I'll take the lid off and let some of moisture cook off.

++++++

Added note: during the last hour, as the collagen has broken down, the meat is absorbing the liquid. So - in the early stages of cooking you should be wondering if you have too much liquid.

Thanks for sharing this! As a cook who is often stuck in the past with my mother's Southern cooking recipes and methods, I find I enjoy your posts as they always teach me something new. A little chemistry, some easy recipes and methods along with new flavors and sometimes even an awakening of my own common sense!

Tip they make liners for crock pots that are a life saver for these type dishes.

Thanks for that reminder! I've got to get some of those liners!