Pork shoulder butt was on sale at Kroger. They can range from four to six pounds, which for me is a problem. I live alone, and thanks to the gastric sleeve, I now have a tiny stomach. As I stood in front of the meat case, contemplating my next move, I realized I wanted pulled pork and carnitas. Even if I cut it in half, it would still be too much for me to handle. My only option was to reduce the half of the half. Yep, quarter it, and use my Instant Pot.
My adoration runs very deep for my Instant Pot; however, I still need help to make sure I am using the correct times. I also need a good marinade, leading me to Gimme Some Oven recipe for Instant Pot Crispy Carnitas. The mojo sauce catches my eye. The ingredients include garlic, fresh-squeezed orange and lime juice, oregano, and cumin. I added my little spin by using half of it as a marinade and the other half as directed.
My little trick to shred pork, chicken, or beef uses a hand mixer on low speed. Once I had it pulled to my liking, I simmered it in the mojo sauce to get the consistency I wanted. From there, they went under the broiler to get them crispy, using the leftover sauce to keep the meat moist, as stated in the recipe.
Talk about tender and delicious. I made nachos out of the, but the star of the show was the tacos! Instant Pot carnitas tacos were a fantastic success!
While I had the shoulder marinating, I decided to make some pickled onion. After I found this recipe online, I got to work. I knew the carnitas would be excellent on the tacos and with anything else I made from the carnitas. They were super simple to make. A quick brine and a slicer to get the onions nice and thin before they went into a sixteen-ounce jar.
Lastly, I topped the taco with pickled onions, grated cotija cheese, cilantro, and poblano tomatillo salsa verde on top of a Maria & Ricardos Whole Wheat Low Carb 6 Inch tortilla. Do yourself a favor and try Instant Pot carnitas tacos!
