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Delícia sem Fronteiras

Pressure-cooker carnitas tacos

Fall-apart pork cooked in the pressure cooker with orange and browned at the end for crisp edges.

Time
60 min
Difficulty
Medium
Per serving
R$11.80
Servings
4 servings
Dish photo

Ingredients

for 4 servings

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Carnitas is pork cooked slowly until it falls apart and then browned so the tips turn crisp. The pressure cooker shortens the cooking from hours to 20 minutes, and the orange adds the sweet and tart note that goes with the fat.

Method

  1. Season the shoulder with the salt, cumin and oregano and let it rest for 10 minutes while you chop the onion and crush the garlic.

    • Heat the oil in the open pressure cooker over high heat.
    • Brown the cubes in two batches, about 3 minutes per side, without stirring too much.
    • Return all the meat to the pot.
    • Add the onion, garlic, bay leaves, the juice of the oranges and the juice of 1 lime.
    • Close the lid and, once it reaches pressure, cook for 20 minutes over low heat.
    • Release the pressure.
    • The meat should be so tender that it shreds with a fork.
    • Remove the onion and bay leaves.
    • Put the open pot over high heat and reduce the liquid for 5 minutes, until it becomes a thick, glossy base.
    • Shred the meat right there, with two forks.
  2. Spread the meat in a wide, very hot skillet and let it brown for 4 to 5 minutes without stirring, until the edges are crisp.

  3. Warm the tortillas in a dry skillet, assemble the tacos and serve with red onion, cilantro, cheese and wedges of the remaining lime.

Tips

Do not remove the fat: it gives flavor and helps with browning. Leftover meat makes great quesadilla or omelet fillings the next day, and it freezes well in portions.

Mexico · per serving

Nutrients per serving

Calories

800 kcal

Protein

45 g

23% of kcal

Carbohydrate

51 g

25% of kcal

Fat

47 g

52% of kcal · fiber 7 g

Where the calories come from

  • protein23%
  • carbohydrate25%
  • fat52%

Pick a target per meal to compare the recipe. They are starting points, not individual advice.

By food

Nutrients of each food, per serving
FoodQty.kcalProt.Share of calories
pork shoulder200 g47234 g59%
oranges66 g240.7 g3%
limes29 g90.3 g1%
onion28 g110.5 g1%
garlic3 g40.2 g0%
ground cumin0.5 g20.1 g0%
oregano0.3 g10 g0%
salt3 g00 g0%
vegetable oil3.4 g300 g4%
corn tortillas78 g1704.5 g21%
fresh cheese (queso fresco)25 g664.4 g8%
red onion28 g110.5 g1%
cilantro5 g10.1 g0%

Calculated with 13 of 14 ingredients. No data for: bay leaves.

Source: USDA FoodData Central, TACO (Unicamp), and editorial estimate. Approximate values. Not medical or nutritional advice.