Easy Root Beer Maple Carnitas
Enjoy these succulent carnitas with tortillas or with rice.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1/4 cup cooking oil
- 3–4 lb pork shoulder, cut into 3–4 inch chunks
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1–2 chiles de arbol*
- 2 cups root beer, divided into 1 1/2 cups and 1/2 cup
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1/4 Spanish onion
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
Instructions
- Heat oil in a dutch oven. Season pork with salt and pepper, brown on all sides.
- Once all of the meat is browned, add 1 1/2 cups root beer, onion, garlic, bay leaves and chiles de arbol. Cover and cook for about 2 hours or a bit longer, when the meat starts to fall apart.
- Mix remaining root beer with maple syrup and brown sugar. Add to the pork and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Pull the meat out, shred and serve on corn or flour tortillas with your favorite fixings, or with rice.
Notes
- I bought chile de arbol on amazon but you can also find them in your store.