Score another one for the Instant Pot! Since I bought mine, I’ve been adapting some of my slow cooker recipes for the pressure cooker. Beef stew was magnificent; black bean soup not so much. I think the bean skins need the long, slow cook, even if the bean innards don’t. Mind you, it’s still way better than canned, but if I have time, I’ll keep doing that one in the crockpot. My next choice for conversion: Pork Tenderloin Carnitas (slow cooker). It’s an easy recipe, and I think even simpler in the Instant Pot than in the slow cooker. I honestly can’t tell the difference in flavor or texture between the two methods, so this is one dish I’ll make exclusively in the Instant Pot from now on. You can skip the crisping step if you want to simplify it even further, but you have to do something with the pork while the liquid reduces. You might as well crisp it! No, it doesn’t stay particularly crispy when you add the reduced liquid back in, but it does pick up more of that wonderful browned flavor. 

I froze some two-person servings from this batch in ziptop freezer bags. Carnitas freezes really well. If it seems too dry, just add a little water (or beer!) before rewarming. It helps avoid freezer burn to get as much air out as possible; I don’t have a vacuum sealer, so I used a straw. If you do, too, be careful. Let’s save “inhaling” pork carnitas as a euphemism for enthusiastic eating, not as a literal term!

You’ll find a printer-friendly version of the recipe at the bottom of this page.

Ingredients:

2½ tsp ground chipotle pepper

2 tsp cumin

1½ tsp Mexican oregano

½ tsp ground Aleppo pepper (can substitute ancho or chili powder)

½ tsp garlic powder

½ tsp onion powder

½ tsp salt

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

2 lbs pork tenderloin

1 to 2 oranges

1 lime

1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

~ ½ cup beer

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Directions:

1.) Stir the dry ingredients (ground chipotle through black pepper) together in a small bowl until well combined; set aside.

2.) Trim the silvery membranes and any excess fat from the tenderloins, and cut each horizontally into four pieces. Rub them evenly with the spice mixture, then place in the inner pot. Arrange them so that they each touch the bottom fairly equally.

3.) Juice the orange(s) for ½ cup of juice; place in a one-cup measuring cup. Juice the lime, and add all of its juice to the orange juice cup. Add the vinegar. Open the beer, and add just enough to make one full cup of liquids. Drink the rest! You could top it off with more orange juice, chicken broth, or water if you don’t have a beer handy. Pour the liquid over the seasoned pork.

4.) Using the “Manual” and “+/-” buttons, set the pot to cook for 40 minutes on high pressure. It will take about 10 minutes to reach pressure. Allow a 10 minute NPR (natural pressure release) when the pressure cycle is done. This means you’ll have an hour altogether to do something else before the next steps.

5.) After the ten-minute NPR, turn the pot off. Carefully release any remaining pressure, and remove the lid. Check the pork for doneness. It should fall apart quite readily. If not, give it a few more minutes under pressure.

6.) When it’s ready, scoop the pork out with a slotted spoon and transfer it to a lightly oiled rimmed baking sheet (I used a half-sheet pan). Shred the pork with 2 forks and spread it out evenly. You can spray the top lightly with olive oil to help it crisp up, but it’s not strictly necessary. Place under the broiler for 3 to 5 minutes.

7.) While the pork is crisping, turn your Instant Pot back on with the “Sauté” button.  Use the “Adjust” button if needed to set it to “normal.” You don’t need the full thirty minutes. That’s just the default setting on the pot for the sauté function. It will count down and turn itself off after the time is up, in case you’ve left the room and forgotten it. It’s always best to keep an eye on the pot whenever you’re sautéing, but it’s nice to have that safety feature as a backup. Bring the liquid to a boil, & cook until reduced to about 1/2 – 1 cup. Turn off the pot and mix the liquid back into the pork.

8.) Serve with chopped cilantro sprinkled over all, as burrito filling, or in quesadillas. This week, I made wraps with Cilantro Rice and Sweet & Spicy Pickled Peppers, with a dollop of sour cream. Just pile some rice about three-quarters of the way down the middle, and add some carnitas and pickled peppers. Fold up the bottom, then fold in the sides one at a time. To get them to stay wrapped, I dabbed a bit of the pickled pepper juice (though any liquid will do) under the last flap and pressed gently. Carnitas also goes really well with Citrus-Pickled Red Onion With Jalapeño.