Looking for a totally satisfying dinner? Make these Mexican Carnitas and you won’t be disappointed. It’s all about the slow cooking for these and well worth the time. Take a look!
So, first of all, I accidentally made these. I know, how can you accidentally make something. Well, if you happen to be me, you can. Trust me, ha!
One Saturday afternoon a few weeks back, I was planning on making my Beef Stew. I had such a success with it recently, that I thought it would be a good dish to make again. I had the stewing beef defrosting and everything in the house to make it. Plus time was on my side and it would have been perfect for dinner. Beef Stew it was going to be.
Until I decided it was going to be Mexican Carnitas…hahaha!
I got them put together and into the oven it went. I checked on it periodically throughout the hours it was in there to make sure it was coming along nicely. By the end, the beef was fork tender and delicious. Everyone in the house loved them, so I call that a winner.
I made them again since to make sure I got it all right to share with you all. The second time around, it came out even better and I was so impressed.
Traditional carnitas use pork. Well, at least I think so…eek! These use beef because that is what I had. And carnitas just means “little meats”, so I think this can be called carnitas. Right?
So, let’s take a look below!
Notes about the carnitas
- These are slow cooked in the oven not in a slow cooker. Mainly because I don’t have a slow cooker. However, if you have a slow cooker, I imagine you can do them that way as well.
- First of all, I used chopped stewing beef. It was what I had and it worked perfectly. If you have a roast of meat, I am pretty sure that will work as well. The main reason I used the stewing beef is because it was in the fridge. The second time I made them, I just went for the stewing beef again because I knew it worked.
- The first time I made them, we topped them with everything, avocado, tomatoes, cheese, sour cream and salsa! They were loaded and they were delicious. You choose how you want to top them. Here you will just see them with cheese and arugula. Simple but equally delicious.
- I recommend warming the tortillas. You can wrap them in foil and put them in the oven. Or just do them in a skillet over the stove top. Either way works fine.
Apart from that, it’s all in the recipe below and it’s worth making!
Happy cooking friends!
Get the recipe!
Mexican Carnitas
Ingredients
- 1 lb stewing beef
- 1 Red pepper sliced
- 1 Green pepper sliced
- 1 Yellow pepper sliced
- 1 cup beef broth
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- Juice of one lime
- 1 Tablespoon cumin
- 1 Teaspoon onion powder
- 1 Teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 Teaspoon salt
- 1 Teaspoon black pepper
- 1 Tablespoon corn flour
- 2 Tablespoon water
Other
- 8 Tortilla wraps
- 1 cup Cheddar cheese grated
- Arugula
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
- In a large bowl combine the lime juice, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Add the beef and stir to coat.
- In a large skillet set over high heat, add the olive oil and heat for about a minute. Add the beef and brown for about 3-4 minutes.
- Remove meat from stove top and put it in an oven proof dish. Pour over beef stock. Put it in the oven oven uncovered for about 3 1/2 hours or until really tender. NOTE: You will add the peppers to the beef about 45 minutes before it’s finished cooking. You will see this below.
- In the reserved skillet set over high heat, add the peppers. Give them a good stir and cook them for about 5 minutes or until they start to soften. Remove from heat.
- After the beef has been cooking for about 2 hours and 45 minutes remove it from the oven and add the peppers. Stir well, cover and return to oven for remaining 45 minutes.
- When beef is tender, remove from oven.
- Add the cornflour to a glass and add the water. Stir to combine.
- Using two forks, start pulling apart the beef till it flakes apart. Pour the beef into a large saucepan set over medium heat. When it starts to simmer, pour in cornflour mixture and stir until sauce thickens. Remove from heat.
- Serve in tortilla wraps topped with cheese and arugula (if desired).
Thanks For Stopping By & Hope To See You Soon!
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