Description
These low FODMAP Instant Pot Carnitas will add some delicious spice to your summer or any time of year! Easily made juicy and tender in the Instant Pot and crispy under a broiler, this Mexican street food recipe is also Paleo and Whole30 in addition to being low FODMAP.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 3-4 pounds pork shoulder
- 2 tablespoons garlic-infused olive oil
- 1/2 cup pineapple juice* or cold water
- 1/2 cup lime juice, freshly-squeezed (from about 2 large limes)
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (plus more for sprinkling)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper (plus more for sprinkling)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne powder*
Instructions
- Using a sharp chopping knife, chop the pork shoulder into 6 equal square-sized pieces. Dry each piece with paper towels and sprinkle generously with kosher salt and ground black pepper.
- Hit the "Sauté" button on your 6-quart Instant Pot, 8-quart Instant Pot, or comparable electric pressure cooker, and add the garlic-infused olive oil. Once the display reads "Hot," using tongs, add half of the pork pieces and sear each side for 1 minute. Remove seared pork to a plate and repeat for the remaining pieces of pork.
- Once all the pork pieces are seared and removed from the pot, hit "Cancel" on the Instant Pot and slowly pour the pineapple and lime juice into the pot. Scrape the bottom of the pot clean with a plastic spoon or spatula (I love my Instant Pot spatula).
- Add 1 teaspoon lime zest, 1 teaspoon oregano leaves, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper and ½ teaspoon cayenne powder to the pot and stir until combined. Add all the pork back into the pot and cover with the liquid on all sides. Scrape any pork juices left on the plate into the pot using a spatula (leave no flavor behind!).
- Close the lid, set pressure release valve to sealing, hit the "Meat" button, and set timer for 60 minutes.
- Once the cooking cycle has completed, hit "Cancel" on the Instant Pot and quick release pressure. Preheat the oven broiler and set a rack to the second position from the top of the oven.
- Open the Instant Pot lid, and using a slotted spoon, carefully remove pork to a cookie sheet. Using two forks, pull pork apart and spread it evenly on the cookie sheet. Using a ladle, spread half of the juices remaining in the pot over the meat. Put the cookie sheet in the oven and broil for 4 minutes, watching carefully for burning. Remove cookie sheet from the oven and using a large flipping spatula, flip the pork on the cookie sheet. Add the remaining half of the juices on the pork and broil for 4 more minutes or until pork is crispy. Remove from the oven. Using tongs, remove pork from cookie sheet into a serving bowl, leaving most of the remaining juices behind on the cookie sheet.
- Serve in a bowl on some greens, on a baked potato, on a sweet potato (Low FODMAP up to 1/2 cup), in a gluten-free corn tortilla (Low FODMAP up to 2-3 tortillas but not Paleo/Whole30, see above for more information), or in a Paleo/Whole30 compliant tortilla alternative (green leaf or butter lettuce, for example). Top with scallions (green tops only), chopped lettuce, low FODMAP salsa (homemade or store-bought), freshly-squeezed lime juice, lactose-free sour cream (Low FODMAP but not Paleo/Whole30) or any of your favorite toppings.
Notes
- Pineapple juice: has not been tested for FODMAPs but is generally believed to be low FODMAP. Make sure the pineapple juice you use does not contain high FODMAP ingredients, such as apple juice or pear juice concentrate. If you prefer to not use pineapple juice, you can use the same quantity of water instead without impacting the flavor too greatly.
- Cayenne: While generally believed to be low FODMAP in small quantities, cayenne contains capsaicin, which makes it spicy and can trigger adverse symptoms in some people with IBS.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: Mexican-Inspired
