Sous Vide Carnitas

Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1440 min
Servings: 12
Yield: 12 servings

Description

These incredibly moist, melt-in-your-mouth sous vide carnitas are infused with warm spices and become the base for a variety of dishes.

Ingredients

2 teaspoons granulated garlic
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 (4 pound) boneless pork butt
1 tablespoon chicken soup base (such as Better than Bouillon®)
1 medium orange, sliced
3 large bay leaves
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, or as needed

Directions

1 Fill a large pot with water and place a sous vide immersion cooker into the water. Set temperature to 165 degrees F (74 degrees C) according to manufacturer's directions.
2 Combine granulated garlic, cumin, salt, oregano, coriander, and black pepper in a small bowl.
3 Cut pork butt into 2 chunks and rub with soup base. Sprinkle with spice mixture and rub until evenly distributed. Place pork into a large vacuum bag. Add orange slices and bay leaves throughout the bag. Seal using a vacuum sealer.
4 Place bag into the water and set timer for 24 hours, turning bag over halfway through. When done, remove pork to a platter, reserving some or all of the juices.
5 To crisp up carnitas, heat vegetable oil in a large cast iron skillet over high heat until smoking. Add shredded pork and fry until edges are browned and crispy, 1 to 2 minutes. Drizzle with reserved juices, if desired. Alternately, you may crisp under an oven broiler for 3 to 4 minutes.