Pulled pork is a southern staple that I’ve cooked so many times now that I’ve lost count! To change it up a little I decided to try cooking Carnitas, also known as Mexican pulled pork.
Carnitas (Mexican Pulled Pork)
I’ve cooked pulled pork every way it can be done I think, in the oven, gas grill, charcoal grill and in a slow cooker.
I love grilled food but I hate standing outside over the grill, especially when it’s a million degrees and the mosquitos are munching on me! My preferred method is to cook it in the oven.
I’ve found that when I cook it in the slow cooker it sits in much more liquid and the top of the meat steams so you don’t get that nice crispy bark effect on the outside of the meat that you can achieve in the oven or on a grill, though it still tastes awesome! If you want to try a crock pot version then Fearless Dining has a great Slow Cooker Pulled Pork recipe that works very well.
To start with I simply cooked the pulled pork in the oven with a little salt and pepper. It’s really easy to do it that way and I did it the day before I wanted to make the carnitas.
I used a large piece of pork and wanted to use some for pulled pork sandwiches for my boys and some for carnitas so I didn’t season it except for salt and pepper.
It’s easiest to pull apart the pork when it’s still warm so if you’re doing it ahead of time that’s what I would do before putting it in the fridge for later.
There are several different ways to serve Carnitas, but the easiest for our family was on corn tortillas. You can add whatever sides and toppings you like to serve with tacos, but I think they go well with Guacamole, Restaurant Salsa, shredded cheese or just plain avocado slices.
And I don’t know about you but I think store bought corn tortillas taste much better if you toast them in a pan first, so don’t skip that step!
How to cook Paleo Carnitas on a grill
In order to cook my paleo Carnitas on a gas grill you will need at least one full tank of gas to start as it takes several hours to cook and you don’t want to run out halfway.
We no longer have a charcoal grill but this site gives you some guidance on how to set up a charcoal grill for indirect cooking if that’s the way you want to cook it.
An instant read thermometer is also a good idea and will make your life easier in knowing whether it’s cooked or not.
You need to set your grill up for indirect cooking, so essentially you make the grill work like an oven and the meat is not placed directly over the flames where it would burn underneath before the meat is cooked in the middle.
So for example if you have three gas burners you could put the meat over the middle burner (it’s turned off) and turn on the two side burners, this will turn your grill into an oven where the heat is more evenly distributed and is not directly under the meat.
You will also want to put a large foil drip pan underneath the meat on the grill to catch all the drippings, it goes under the grill bars and will usually sit on the burner that’s turned off.
Heat the grill up to 425F, then add the meat so that its not directly over the heat, after 20 minutes turn it down to 325F.
Try to resist the temptation to open the lid all the time as you will let the heat out and it will take longer to cook.
The meat will be ready to be ‘pulled’ when it is fall apart tender, The cook time will vary depending on the size of your meat, but for a 6lb pork butt I would expect it to take between 4-6hrs, possibly a bit longer.
If it has a bone it will come out with little resistance once cooked, the internal temperature should be 190- 200F.
More Tasty Gluten Free Dinner Recipes!
- Cuban Pork Roast
- Paleo Italian Meatballs with Marinara Sauce
- Shepherd’s Pie
- Company Pot Roast
- Beef and Butternut Squash Stew
- Paleo & Whole30 Meatloaf
- Chicken & Dumplings
This post may contain Amazon affiliate links
Paleo Carnitas {Mexican Pulled Pork}
Pulled pork is a southern staple that I've cooked so many times now that I've lost count! To change it up a little I decided to try cooking paleo Carnitas, also known as Mexican pulled pork.
Ingredients
- 4- 5 lb Boston Pork Butt
- 1 clove garlic , crushed
- 3 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed orange juice
- 1 orange , zest only
- 1 tablespoon ancho chili powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
Instructions
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The easiest way to make this is in your oven, if you want to cook it on a grill please read the post for details.
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Place the pork in a large oven proof roasting pan and simply season with a little salt and pepper
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Preheat the oven to 425F and when it is ready add the pork on the middle shelf, do not cover it.
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after 40 minutes turn it down to 325F.
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Cooking time is going to vary depending on the size of your cut of meat and whether it has a bone in it or not.
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I would expect it to take between 5 - 7 hours to cook so that the pork is 'pullable' and the bone comes out without any resistance.
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While the pork is cooking mix together the remaining marinade ingredients and set aside.
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When the pork is cooked pull it apart with a couple of forks and remove the extra fatty bits and any bones.
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Add the marinade to the meat and mix well, then spread it out onto a large wide oven proof pan.
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Turn on the broiler and put the pan underneath it but not so close that it will burn, watch it for 5 - 7 minutes until it's crisped a little on top.
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If you are following Paleo or Whole 30 then use some large lettuce leaves to wrap it in instead.
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