00:00 By the end of this video, I'm gonna convince you
00:02 that this is gonna become a staple in your household.
00:04 This is my version of carnitas, okay?
00:07 What makes mine different than the true authentic version
00:10 is that I'm making it in the crock pot
00:12 because I'm all about ease.
00:14 Very minimal ingredients,
00:15 nothing to be intimidated by here.
00:17 All you need are a few things and some time.
00:20 So I'm starting out with just boneless pork shoulder.
00:24 You could do this with the bone in
00:25 and then shred it off the bone later,
00:27 but those folks in the meat department
00:28 were being nice today.
00:30 And I'm gonna cut it into like four to six large chunks.
00:34 Carnitas literally translate into little meats
00:37 or little pieces of meat.
00:39 So what it is is like a braised, roasted pork shoulder,
00:43 so tender that it shreds apart.
00:45 Then we make it crispy.
00:46 Salt and pepper, a little bit of chili powder and cumin.
00:51 This is ancho chili powder,
00:53 which just has a little bit of a smokier taste,
00:55 but you could just use regular.
00:56 The cumin also just adds that kind of smokiness
01:00 and it's gonna pair really well with the citrus.
01:02 And then a little bit of garlic powder
01:04 because I'm just being lazy with the fresh garlic.
01:07 I'm just gonna take this, sear it,
01:10 and I'll season the other side once it's in the pan.
01:12 Come on, come on.
01:14 If you don't want to do this step
01:17 and you just wanna go straight into the crock pot,
01:19 be my guest, okay?
01:20 But I'm trying to show you the best carnitas
01:23 and so I just think this stuff
01:25 is lending more to the best than just really good.
01:29 You know what I mean?
01:30 So you know the drill when it comes to sear.
01:33 We want a really hot pan.
01:35 Just a little bit of oil.
01:37 While I have made this recipe like dozens of times,
01:41 I've never really written it down for you,
01:42 so I'm kind of developing this as I go
01:44 because I know y'all love a recipe.
01:47 So that was like a couple teaspoons of olive oil
01:50 in a really hot pan and down with our pieces of pork.
01:54 You might have to do this in batches
01:55 if your pan isn't big enough.
01:56 We're gonna let those cook undisturbed
01:58 until they're really crusty brown.
02:01 Don't touch it.
02:02 Actually, we can prep our other ingredients
02:03 while this happens so we're not tempted to cheat.
02:06 The key elements are the orange and the lime.
02:10 So this citrus with that pork
02:11 just kind of cuts through that richness,
02:14 adds flavor against the spice.
02:16 I'm also gonna throw in an onion that's just been quartered.
02:22 Not one bit of this is intimidating,
02:24 so far.
02:24 I'm gonna go ahead and squeeze my juice
02:26 so I can use these juices to deglaze my pan.
02:28 I'm also gonna be juicing some limes later
02:31 for a little cocktail.
02:32 As you know, it goes good with carnitas.
02:34 Oh yeah, you wanna see this?
02:37 (sizzling)
02:39 Oh, look at that.
02:41 (sizzling)
02:43 Gorgeous.
02:46 I'll let that go like two or three minutes
02:48 and then we will finish her off.
02:50 Get my crock pot ready to go.
02:52 I'm gonna take the meat out
02:53 and then just deglaze the pan and add the liquid in.
02:56 In double layers here.
02:57 To our pan, I'm gonna go in with my onion
02:59 just to wake it up a little bit.
03:02 And then I'm gonna pour in my orange and lime juice.
03:04 (sizzling)
03:07 And about a cup of water.
03:10 Scrape up any bits and just pour it right over the pork.
03:14 If y'all could just smell it.
03:16 Set it in the crock pot, I'm gonna add in those
03:19 two orange halves and then two bay leaves.
03:22 Told you it was easy.
03:24 This might be better than pulled pork and I'm from the South.
03:27 You can also do this in the oven
03:29 if you really wanna cut the time.
03:30 We're gonna go high for four to five hours
03:35 or you can go low for like eight hours.
03:37 Woo!
03:39 Look at that!
03:41 You wanna see the magic?
03:43 Look at that.
03:44 Y'all, y'all.
03:46 We're gonna shred this up and make it crispy, okay?
03:49 The crispiness is what makes it different and so special.
03:52 I mean, talk about tender.
03:54 Like butter!
03:55 Do you see how perfect that is?
03:58 Please look at the audience.
04:00 (laughing)
04:03 There's more to your right.
04:04 Their mouths are watering.
04:08 A lot of times, classically, they will just fry it
04:11 in oil on the stove.
04:12 I promised you I would keep it easy.
04:14 So we're just gonna place it on a sheet pan
04:17 and put it under the broiler.
04:18 So minimal cleanup, super easy,
04:21 and you can do all this part ahead of time
04:23 and then just crisp it in the oven
04:24 right before you wanna serve it.
04:25 I got this whole pork shoulder bit for less than $25.
04:30 This is enough food to feed several people,
04:34 so it's perfect for entertaining for not a lot of money,
04:36 but like super impressive.
04:38 Before I pop it under the broiler,
04:39 I'm gonna take some of this cooking liquid
04:41 with some of that fat that's kinda risen to the top
04:44 because that's what's gonna help it kinda fry in the oven.
04:48 As a bonus, I'm showing you how to make
04:50 a top shelf margarita.
04:52 A, because I think you should know how to make it.
04:53 B, because I really wanna drink it and work's paying for it.
04:56 (laughing)
04:58 She's honest.
04:58 Ice.
05:00 I prefer the Reposado over the white tequila.
05:04 I think it's just a little bit smoother
05:06 and I drink my margaritas on the rocks, no salt.
05:09 In with a shot of tequila.
05:12 Also, Cointreau, you could also do Grand Marnier.
05:15 This is kinda like the part
05:17 that makes it more top shelf besides the better tequila.
05:20 Alternatively, you would just use Triple Sec, but we fancy.
05:23 At the end of the day, they're both orange liqueurs.
05:25 And then fresh lime juice.
05:28 I'm going in with about one and a half limes.
05:30 I don't think you really need simple syrup.
05:33 However, if you find that the limes
05:35 are just too tart for you,
05:37 you might just put in a little squeeze of agave.
05:39 I prefer that over the simple syrup.
05:41 Now to me, what is key in a margarita,
05:43 and I think a lot of people skip this step
05:45 if they make a margarita at home, is the shake.
05:48 But I like it a little frothy
05:49 and I think that's essential in a margarita.
05:51 So that's what we do.
05:52 (ice clinking)
05:54 Can never have too many rocks.
05:55 (ice clinking)
05:58 Cheers.
06:02 Mm, it's nothing like it.
06:07 This is the color of a real margarita.
06:09 Not that electric green that sometimes you get
06:12 at the really cheap happy hour
06:14 or on the grocery store shelves.
06:16 That's what I'm talking about.
06:18 Oh, y'all wanna eat carnitas?
06:19 Okay.
06:21 You can listen to it sizzle.
06:23 This proves that the oven is just as effective
06:26 as the stove top,
06:28 'cause we put some of those little
06:29 cooking grease juices on there.
06:31 Listen to the sizzle.
06:32 Like one minute, one minute and we're there.
06:39 The beauty of these carnitas is the simplicity of it.
06:42 Lime, cilantro, white onion.
06:45 I'm adding in just a little bit of jalapeno
06:46 because I like a little kick.
06:48 Another reason why this makes a great dish for entertaining.
06:53 Look at that, look at that.
06:55 You see that?
06:56 It's action happening.
06:58 I'm gonna finish it off with a little more salt.
07:00 Okay, serve it up.
07:01 Tortillas, simple, classic, flour is what I prefer.
07:06 The closer to homemade, the better.
07:08 And then we just put on our little crispy bits of pork,
07:12 onion, cilantro if you please, and I please.
07:16 Just a couple of these.
07:18 Good squeeze of lime.
07:21 I mean, we already know it's gonna be good,
07:23 but I guess you wanna see my reaction.
07:25 Oh my God.
07:27 This kinda makes me wanna cry.
07:28 It's so good.
07:29 Before it really even got fully in my mouth,
07:31 I could already taste the burst of deliciousness.
07:34 It was the lime juice meeting with that pork.
07:36 Y'all, please make these.
07:38 I mean, it's perfection.
07:43 If this is wrong, I don't wanna be right.
07:45 What I really want you to do is not only make this,
07:49 but if and when you do,
07:51 I need you to tell me what you think about it.
07:53 Okay, please let me know.
07:55 Between the carnitas and the margaritas, got you covered.
07:58 - This thing looks so good.
08:00 - Well, I'll make you one.
08:02 (crunching)
08:04 Do you like it?
08:10 - I love it.
08:11 - Is it delicious?
08:12 - Yeah.
08:13 - Leave me alone.
08:15 (laughing)
08:17 you
Comments