Carnitas for Cinco de Mayo

 Tomorrow is May! Yea! Time to think about Mexican themed food for Cinco de Mayo. The May 5 holiday is a relatively minor holiday in Mexico, but in the U.S. it is a good time for celebrating with Mexican flavors whether you have Mexican heritage or not. 
This recipe for Beef Carnitas is now a favorite of ours. Carnita means 'little meats' and is traditionally done with pork. But we love our beef and this recipe from Chef Alli is easy to get to the table or will wait until all the cattle workers get in. Since I started using my Electric Pressure Cooker, I won't cook a beef roast any other way! Cutting it into chunks and browning it not only makes it cook quicker, it improves the flavor ('brown' is a flavor as well as a color). And I've just discovered a quick thaw trick - put frozen roast in the refrigerator overnight (it starts thawing, but will still be frozen in the morning), then a quick microwave 'defrost' for ½ pound, followed by a short time sitting in a heavy cooking pan (still wrapped) with another pan sitting on it. There is some trick about the metal drawing the cold out! The roast will soon be thawed enough to cut into smaller chunks. 

Happy Cinco de Mayo

Big Bold Beef Carnitas

Ingredients:

3 lbs. chuck roast, cut into 3-inch chunks, trimmed if needed

2 Tbs. olive oil

1 Tbs. kosher salt

2 tsp. ground cumin

½ tsp. smoked paprika

1 tsp. chili powder

2 tsp. oregano flakes

1 tsp. chipotle sauce or minced chipotles in adobo

1 yellow onion

3-4 cloves garlic, minced or crushed

1 cinnamon stick

Zest of 1 orange

½ cup orange juice

½ cup lime juice (can use lime zest too, if you want)

Directions:

1.    Set electric pressure cooker (EPC) to sauté setting; add oil, salt, cumin, paprika, chili powder, oregano, and chipotle sauce; when mixture is nicely hot, add cubed beef. Brown beef in batches, removing to a plate as you work. 

2.    Return all beef to EPC pot; add onion, garlic, cinnamon stick, orange zest, and juices; cover pressure cooker, lock EPC lid into place. Choose High Pressure setting for 45-50 minutes. When times sounds, use a full natural release to allow protein fibers to fully relax. 

3.    Remove EPC lid and transfer beef to a large cutting board; shred beef apart. Add shredded beef to a preheated, oiled cast iron skill set over high heat. 

4.    Sear beef over high heat just until it gets a good ‘crisp’ on the outside, watching carefully so beef doesn’t bur, adding cooking liquid from pressure cooker, a little at a time, as needed. 

5.    Serve beef with warm corn or flour tortillas, salsa fresca, sour cream, cilantro, and shredded cheese, as desired.