Instant Pot Carnitas

I haven't made a recipe in a while that got inhaled by the girls as fast as this one!

Instant Pot Pork Carnitas

From Bon Appetit

INGREDIENTS

• 3 lb. skinless, boneless pork shoulder (Boston Butt), cut into 2" pieces
• 2 jalapeños, cut in half lengthwise, stems removed
• 4 large garlic cloves
• 1 Tbsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp. ground coriander
• 1 tsp. ground cumin

• RECIPE PREPARATION

  • Place pork, jalapeños, garlic, salt, oregano, pepper, coriander, and cumin in Instant Pot. Toss with your hands until well combined. Seal lid and cook on high pressure for 35 minutes.
  • Release pressure manually. Using a slotted spoon, transfer pork to a large bowl; fish out jalapeños and garlic and discard. Shred meat with two forks or your hands. Pour cooking liquid over meat and toss to combine.
  • Working in batches, transfer shredded pork to a large nonstick skillet set over high heat and cook, undisturbed, until underside is well browned, about 5 minutes. Toss and continue to cook, tossing occasionally, until some of the edges are caramelized and crisp, 5–7 minutes longer. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel–lined baking sheet. Cover with foil to keep warm and moist.

  Notes:

I diced up the jalapeno and garlic cloves. Added a little splash of orange juice to the Instant Pot. Was worried there wasn't enough liquid but it turned out OK; lots of liquid left over. Cooked this an additional 10 minutes since after 35 minutes the pork didn't shred and seemed rubbery but was good after an additional 10 minutes. Cleaned all the fat off the pork before shredding. Didn't use all the liquid after it cooked but using a slotted spoon pulled out most of the cooked jalapenos and garlic along with some liquid (the fat in the liquid helps when browning the pork).

Everyone ate this differently: in a bean and cheese burrito, in a sandwich, in a taco, and also layered on top of a tostada.

Beef Chili with Bacon and Black Beans)

Cook's Illustrated

Serves 8 to 10

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 onions, chopped fine
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 pounds 85% lean ground beef
8 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained with juice reserved
1 (28-ounce) can tomato puree
Salt
Lime wedges

1. Cook bacon in dutch oven over medium heat, stirring frequently, until browned, about 8 minutes. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat, leaving bacon in pot. Add onions, bell pepper, garlic, chili powder, cumin, coriander, pepper flakes, oregano, and cayenne and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes, Increase heat to medium-high and add half of beef. Cook, breaking up pieces with spoon, until no longer pink and just beginning to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add remaining beef and cook, breaking up pieces with spoon, until no longer pink, 3 to 4 minutes.
2. Add beans, tomatoes, tomato puree, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; bring to boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour. Remove cover and continue to simmer 1 hour longer, stirring occasionally (if chili begins to stick to bottom of pot, stir in 1/2 cup water and continue to simmer), until beef is tender and chili is dark, rich, and slightly thickened. Season with salt to taste. Might need to add soy sauce and Louisiana Hot Sauce to taste. Serve with lime wedges and condiments (diced tomatoes, avocados, scallions, sour cream, shredded cheese). 

Adapted this to cook in the Instant Pot. Used all the tomato puree but drained and only used half the diced tomatoes. Cooked on high pressure for 30 minutes and let it do a natural release.

One-Minute Salsa

From Cook's Illustrated. Makes about 1 cup

1/2 small jalapeno chile or 1/2 chipotle chili in adobo sauce, minced
1/4 small red onion, peeled and root end removed
1 small garlic clove, minced or pressed
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 teaspoon salt
pinch ground black pepper
2 teaspoons juice from 1 lime
2 small ripe tomatoes each cored and cut into eights, or one (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained

Pulse all ingredients except tomatoes in food processor until minced, about five 1-second pulses, scraping sides of bowl as necessary. Add tomatoes and pulse until roughly chopped, about two 1-second pulses.

Turkey Tacos

These are really good but I can't get the kids to eat them. You can use ground beef but I prefer ground turkey.

Beef Tacos (from Cook's Illustrated)

Makes 8 tacos

Beef Filling

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

1 small onion, chopped small (about 2/3 cup)

3 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt & pepper
1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 teaspoons vinegar (preferably cider)
1 teaspoon packed brown sugar

1. Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering, about 2 minutes; add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, chili powder, cumin, coriander, oregano, cayenne, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add ground beef and cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon and scraping pan bottom to prevent scorching, until beef is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce, broth, vinegar, and brown sugar; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, stirring frequently and breaking up meat so that no chunks remain, until liquid has reduced and thickened (mixture should not be completely dry), about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Using a wide, shallow spoon, spoon mixture into taco shells.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

1 whole roasted chicken, shredded
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1 green bell pepper, diced
3 cans chicken broth
1 can tomato sauce
1 can diced tomatos
2 cans Rotel tomatos and chilli, mild
1 cup corn, frozen or canned
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

Garnishes:
avocado
cheddar cheese, grated
sour cream
cilantro
tortilla chips, crushed

Saute onion, garlic, jalapeno and bell pepper until soft. Add everything else up to and including black beans. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 mins. Top with garnishes.