Pork Shoulder and Seitan Carnitas

We have both been craving hearty, protein-rich meals. Planning for these meals always leads to the same question: how do we make something protein-rich for both of us?

Our most recent success — with carnitas — has had a number of different incarnations, but it has won the approval of our guests as well as ourselves.  The recipe is simple but slow — but also delicious and worth the wait.  Check it out:

 

Beef/Seitan Carnitas

(Barely Adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

Serves 4

1 lb seitan	OR	1.5 lb pork shoulder* cut into 2″ cubes
1/2 cup orange juice 1/4 cup lime juice 2 tsp pressed garlic 1/2 tsp of cumin 1/4 large onion 1/2 (heaping) tsp sea salt 1/2 tsp of chili powder 1 cinnamon stick (only with seitan)

Start by slicing the onion and juicing the orange and lime.  Then press the garlic.  Place the meat/seitan in a dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot.  Add all the ingredients (juices, garlic, cumin, chili powder, and sea salt) and simmer for 1 hour (if you are using seitan) or 2 hours (if you are making it with meat).  Once the seitan and/or meat have simmered for 1 or 2 hours respectively, turn the heat up and cook off all of the liquid and brown.

2 photos lost when the old site was hacked. Newer posts will have photos.

OR

2 photos lost when the old site was hacked. Newer posts will have photos.

We ate it on corn tortillas with Cotijo crumbled on top and sometimes lathered with our homemade BBQ sauce or with a spicy lime mayo recommended by Z’s mom and a side of our Spanish Rice.

 

Photo lost when the old site was hacked. Newer posts will have photos.

OR

Photo lost when the old site was hacked. Newer posts will have photos.

*A note on above: we have made this three times now — twice with pork shoulder and once with stew meat (as pictured above) when Fairway failed us.  We recommend the pork shoulder — although we also think it would be very good with skirt or flank steak, which we will surely be trying someday soon, and posting about (if it’s any good).