Keto Carnitas

These Keto Carnitas are simply the best, better than all the rest, better than any pork, any pork I’ve ever ate… does anyone else sing in the kitchen, but change the words around to describe your meal, or am I just weird? Actually, don’t answer that…

Whether you serenade as you marinate or not, the first bite you take of these carnitas may make you squeal like David Lee Roth and dance like Tina Turner, as least that was my reaction.

Seriously though, the first bite of these carnitas made me question everything I thought I knew about food. How could something be so crispy, yet so incredibly juicy at the same time? I’ve had carnitas before, but nothing like this.

All the carnitas I have tried pale in comparison to this version. The problem with some recipes for carnitas is they end up too dry, and the final product needs a sauce (beware of inflammatory oils and hidden sugar from store bought sauces) or they are not crispy and just taste like pulled pork which is not the point of carnitas. You can see that’ I’m super passionate about this.

Also, this recipe is super scalable. We’ve made anywhere from 1 lb of carnitas to 6 pounds all in the same dutch oven. This has sort of become a meal prep staple for us. It makes its way into breakfast scarmbles, tacos, veggie hashes, and so much more.

I used an enamel dutch oven (like this one) for this recipe, which is a great option to have in your kitchen.  I love my cast iron skillets and I take pride in how well seasoned they are, but it takes effort and attention to keep them slick. I’ve also made this recipe in our normal cast iron dutch oven and it works just as great.

That being said, if you are on the lookout for a lower maintenance non-toxic option, enamel cast iron is the way to go. The enamel coating is non-reactive so it is a completely safe non-stick option, unlike many non-stick options that contain perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). Using quality non-toxic cookware is an easy switch to make for your health (regardless of any other dietary choices), as PFOA’s have been linked to the development of certain cancers, infertility, and liver damage. No thanks.

Serves: 8

Author: Alex

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Keto Carnitas

These crispy Keto Carnitas are the perfect protein option for a keto diet as the ratio is about 75% fat to 25% protein. Feel free to scale the recipe to make more or less, we vote for more since this is a great meal prep option to have on hand for easy meals.

prep time: 5 Mcook time: 60 Mtotal time: 65 M

ingredients:

• 2 lbs fatty pork shoulder 
• ¼ cup lard 
• Enough water to cover
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1-2 jalapeno or poblano, or anaheim pepper

instructions:

How to cook Keto Carnitas

1. Place all of the ingredients in a large cast iron dutch oven. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to simmer, cover and cook for about 45 minutes until pork is tender.
2. Remove the lid and turn the heat to medium high to reduce the liquid. Once the liquid is reduced the meat will start to fry in its fat.
3. Brown the meat over medium low heat stirring frequently and breaking the pork apart with the back of the spoon or spatula until pork is evenly browned and crispy, this takes about 15 minutes. Taste for salt and serve.

NOTES:

This recipe is super scalable, just adjust to the same ratios and always make sure the pork is covered with water by 1/2″.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Calories

338

Fat (grams)

27.9

Sat. Fat (grams)

10

Carbs (grams)

0.6

Fiber (grams)

0.1

Net carbs

0.5

Sugar (grams)

0.1

Protein (grams)

19.6

Created using The Recipes Generator