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Instant Pot Carnitas with Avocado Salsa

A couple weeks ago, we got an unexpected care package in the mail from our friends at Siete. They make awesome Cassava & Coconut Flour, and Almond Flour tortillas that are perfect for Paleo folks like us. Ever since they sent the tortillas to us, we’ve been making tons of meals with them. For a few days, we were totally lazy and went to Chipotle to get carnita salads, and bringing them back and making our own tacos. After realizing we were paying WAY more for the convenience, we decided to make some ourselves. We’re so glad we did, because not only did we save a lot of loot, they were also just better. I mean… yeah no shock there, most home cooked food is. Duh.

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Yes those are corn chips in the photo. Purists say that corn is not Paleo. We both tolerate corn just fine, and do not lay awake at night worrying about occasionally eating them.

We thought it was an awesome time to use our Instant Pot. TONS of people have come to adore the Instant Pot, and with good reason. It’s like a pressure cooker and slow cooker all in one, with a lot of more advanced features. You can make hard boiled eggs in it (in like 5 minutes), you can make bone broth in it in 60 minutes. It’s a godsend! We like ours so much, we gave one to all our family members at Christmas. Seriously. This is the exact model* we got for ourselves and as Christmas presents.

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So this recipe is super simple to make, and unless you’re a family of 8, you’re going to have extra for more meals (a big bonus here!) We paired this with our new Easy Avocado Salsa recipe, which is extremely tasty. It’s a concoction I came up with that blends my favorite parts of Pico de Gallo and Guacamole. The flavor of avocado, cilantro and lime, paired with some tomato, jalapeno, and red onion. It’s the best of both worlds, and an amazing flavor combination that’s perfect for these carnitas. We finish it off with the Siete tortillas, and some shredded lettuce. If you don’t have Siete tortillas, you can try making our Paleo Tortillas from Make It Paleo 2.

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We hope you love these! Try them and let us know what you think!

Bill

Instant Pot Pork Shoulder Carnitas

This is a very easy way to make pulled pork (carnitas) in your Instant Pot or pressure cooker. It really doesn't get any easier than this! Perfect for people that find planning ahead challenging.... like me! Top these with our Avocado Salsa or the toppings of your choice.

Serves: 8

Serves: 8decrease servingsincrease servings

Ingredients

Process

Note, these instructions are written assuming the standard serving size, since you have modified the number of servings, these steps may need to be modified for best results
  1. Place the pork shoulder in the Instant Pot or pressure cooker.
  2. Add the chicken stock or water to the bottom of the pot.
  3. Add the garlic cloves and roughly chopped onion. Season the top of the pork shoulder with salt and pepper.
  4. Lock the lid and cook on high pressure for at least 45 minutes. Depending on the size of your shoulder, it might take more or less time. Cook until the pork shreds easily with a fork.
  5. To make the tacos: warm the cassava flour tortillas over medium heat until pliable. Add a layer of shredded iceberg lettuce, then the carnitas, and top with our Easy Avocado Salsa. Serve immediately!

Easy Avocado Salsa

In this recipe, I've blended my favorite parts of guacamole and pico de gallo. This is an avocado and cilantro heavy mix, with a little tomato, and some heat from the jalapeno and red pepper. Some salt and lime juice round out the flavors. Mix in the avocado at the very end to preserve the nicely diced edges.

Serves: 4

Serves: 4decrease servingsincrease servings

Ingredients

Process

Note, these instructions are written assuming the standard serving size, since you have modified the number of servings, these steps may need to be modified for best results
  1. Stir all ingredients together in a medium mixing bowl. Start with the diced and seeded tomato, onion, lime juice and cilantro.
  2. Season with salt, pepper, and minced jalapeno.
  3. Add the diced avocado last. Stir together, and serve!

*  This post contains affiliate links. Don’t worry, you don’t pay a dime extra! But a portion of the proceeds kick back to us and supports our site. Yay!

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    COMMENTS

    1. kiki4ct
      May 4, 2020

      This sounds really good. I’m going to try it. I’m a single Mom with a 9 y/o. Financially and time-wise it makes sense for me to buy bigger cuts of meat, but we only have 1 (me) or .5 (my daughter, half time, picky eater) people at the table. Leftovers for a meal or two for us are one thing, but a weeks worth leads to waste. My question is: Have you tried cooking then freezing larger cuts of meat like this? And if so, and you had success, do you have any tips? I tried it once with a different recipe, and while I didn’t expect it to be the same as freshly cooked, it was bland and dry. Thanks!

      1. May 14, 2020

        We don’t normally do bigger cuts then freeze it. If anything, we try to get a smaller cut from the butcher so that we avoid the waste. The other thing you can do if a butcher won’t split up a bigger cut is to do it yourself and freeze the uncooked meat. We do this all the time, and it makes a big difference. If you have a vacuum sealer, then you can make food last SO MUCH LONGER in the fridge or freezer. It’s well worth the investment, for sure.
        Hope this helps!

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