Lets do some real talk folks, I’m a white girl living in suburban London. Authentic Mexican food can be a little hard to track down round here and I’ve never been to Mexico so I’m left to look at pictures on the internet and imagine. I’m not going to be your most authentic source of Mexican food but I can tell you whats tasty and these carnitas are so tasty!
Inspired by the traditional Mexican dish of pork carnitas where a shoulder of pork is slow cooked until it starts to fall apart, then grilled to crisp up the edges. Cooked with tons of aromatics, this tender and flavourful dish is eaten as a snack with salsa, used as a taco filling, or stuffed into burritos. What’s more, it’s crazy easy to veganise this by using jackfruit instead of pork.
For something so tasty, this is an amazingly easy dish and I’ve included 3 different cooking methods in the recipe below so you can fit it to what works for you. Got a busy day coming up? Then your slow cooker is your friend. Realised you’ve forgotten to plan ahead for dinner? Then the pressure cooker has your back. Don’t have a slow cooker or pressure cooker but still want to enjoy this deliciousness? I’ve got your back with a method for your hob.
Use this as a filling for your over stuffed burritos, serve on tacos with salsa and guacamole, I’ve even sprinkled this on pizza (don’t knock it till you’ve tried it!) – this recipe is sure to become one of your firm favourites!
- Makes: Serves 4
Ingredients
- 2 tins of Young Green Jackfruit, rinsed and drained
- 1 Large Onion, quartered then sliced
- 5 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 2 tsp Ground Cumin
- ½ Tbsp Nutritional Yeast
- 1 Tbsp Smoked Paprika
- 2 tsp dried Oregano
- 1 tsp dried Thyme
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 2 Tbsp Soy Sauce Substitute (see allergy note below)
- 2 Tbsp Tomato Puree
- 1 Tbsp Liquid Smoke
- 1 Tsp Ground Coriander
- 3 Tbsp Brown Sugar/Maple Syrup
- ½ Tbsp Chilli Flakes
- 60ml Vegetable Stock
- 1 Tbsp Cider Vinegar
- 1 Large Orange, quartered
- ½ Tbsp Strong Coffee (weird I know - trust me here!)
- Oil for Cooking
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Directions
Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker Method; set your instant pot to saute and use the adjust button to set the heat to low. Add a touch of oil with the onion and gently saute, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens just faintly starts to brown. Turn off the instant pot and add the rest of the ingredients. Mash the oranges with the end of your spoon so they release their juices and stir really well to make sure everything is completely combined. Now lock on the lid and cook on high for 5 minutes, allowing a natural release.
Remove the oranges and but leaves from the pot and set the oranges to one side. This is the point where I like to shred the jackfruit, I like a potato masher for this task but a couple of forks may do just as well if you don’t have one. Gently mash the jackfruit until it’s broken up and resembles pulled pork. Place the jackfruit on to a tray with the oranges and put under a hot grill for about 10 to 15 minutes, turning halfway through, or until the edges of the jackfruit are just starting to char.
Slow Cooker Method; Gently saute your onions on a low heat until they begin to soften and lightly brown. Turn the heat up to medium, add the garlic and orange quarters and saute for another minute or so, stirring constantly. The garlic should become fragrant and the orange may just be beginning to catch. Tip this mix into your slow cooker along with all the other ingredients, set to low, and cook for 8 hours.
Remove the oranges and bay leaves and set the oranges to one side. As above, shred the jackfruit with a masher or a pair of forks. Place the jackfruit on to a tray with the oranges and put under a hot grill for about 10 to 15 minutes, turning halfway through, or until the edges of the jackfruit are just starting to char.
Hob Method; Set a large, wide pan on a low heat with a touch of oil. Slowly saute the onions, stirring occasionally, until they soften and just begin to brown. Add the garlic and continue to saute until the garlic is fragrant. Now add the rest of your ingredients and stir well. The liquid should just cover the jackfruit, if it doesn’t you might need to add a little more stock with this method. Bring up to a boil, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, or until your jackfruit is tender. Remove the lid and simmer until the liquid almost evaporates.
Remove from the heat, remove the bay leaves, mash up your jackfruit and spread onto a tray. Put under a hot grill for about 10 to 15 minutes, turning halfway through, or until the edges of the jackfruit are just starting to char.
Serve stuffed into a burrito, in tacos with guacamole and salsa, or anywhere else that needs it!
Notes
Allergy Notes; I’m going to keep saying this – Soy Sauce is NOT gluten free as the brewing process contains wheat. A good gluten free option is Tamari which normally contains little to no gluten, is slightly less salty, and thicker than soy sauce. As always, check your brand to make sure you’ve not accidentally picked up one of the few brands which uses gluten. We use coconut aminos in our house, while not quite as rich as soy sauce, it’s both gluten free and soy free but different brands vary tremendously – you may have to look around before finding one that suits you.
