How to Make Slow Cooker Carnitas That Rival Chipotle

About a year and a half ago, my wife was a bridesmaid for one of her best friends. The bachelorette party was in Chicago, and the beginning and end of the party were stationed at our apartment. Mind you, at the time, I was living in a one-bedroom spot with my wife and our young son. Reasonable questions for me to ask would have been the following: Where is the boy going to be? Where am I going to sleep? How are all these people going to fit? But my mind didn’t go in that direction.

True to form, my head was on the most important thing: the food! “What are you going to serve?” I asked. The reply…I don’t remember. What I remember is that the suggestion was unacceptable. Why I had any say, whatsoever, is unknown to me at this time. All I know is if you come to my house (even if it’s not my party), you’re going to have a solid spread. So, I thought about it, and came up with a great idea: tacos! What if I could recreate a great taco that rivaled Chipotle?

When I think about that moment, I contemplate why I went in this direction, and then I realize a few things. First, tacos are great. I went with a staple that most people like. When throwing a party, I like to keep my guests in mind and deliver fan favorites. Tacos qualify. Kids like ‘em, adults like ‘em, meat eaters like ‘em, vegetarians like ‘em, vegans like ‘em. I think it’s because the flavors are generally pleasant and they’re easily customizable. Can’t eat meat, don’t include it. Can’t eat dairy, don’t use cheese or sour cream. Don’t like cilantro (in my best Newman-from-”Seinfeld” voice: “vile weed!”), don’t put in on your taco. Second, people love Chipotle. The freshness, the aforementioned ability to customize, and the flavor (those sumptuous salty flavors) keep people coming back for more. Third, people love the ability to graze over the course of a long party. Imagine throwing a party that starts at 10 a.m. and ends at 10 p.m. (or later). People are going to need to eat. What stays nice and warm for 12 hours? Food in a Crock Pot. Like meat you’d use in tacos!

On that fateful day, I had a choice for what to make: chicken, steak, sofritas, carnitas, or barbacoa. I wanted to rival Chipotle and recreate the “that’s-freaking-good” feeling you get when biting into one of their burritos. Right now, you might be thinking, “Does this guy know Chipotle caters?” I do. But I was working within the bachelorette party budget, so catering wasn’t an option. Additionally, it’s kind of boss when you can make a dish that rivals something name-brand delicious. Anyway, I went bold: pulled chicken, with a Chipotle-style-carnitas prep. I found a great recipe here, and with some small modifications (no juniper berries, chicken instead of pork, dried thyme instead of sprigs), pulled it off. Major success!

Culinary Hill

Since that day, I’ve used chicken breast and pork loin with this Chipotle-style-carnitas prep. It’s perfect for parties, or a beginning-of-the-week dinner with ample leftovers for lunch. It’s cost-effective, easy, and crave-worthy, which means low-stress. Additionally, I’d be remiss if I didn’t add a few more thoughts. First, carnitas is traditionally pork simmered in oil. Because I find slow cooking so convenient (i.e. stress-free), I don’t cook the pork in oil. As a result, a purist might argue that I’m not making real-deal carnitas. While I’d submit the point, I still maintain that these “carnitas” rival the carnitas of Chipotle. Second, my personal pork preference varies from the recipe in that I would go with a center loin (less fat) or a shoulder (more fat). Finally, this recipe calls for broiling the pulled pork to create crispy edges, and the use of juniper berries in slow cooking in order to achieve that Chipotle-esque flavor. Because I like to keep things simple and low-stress, though, I don’t find the crispy edges or juniper berries (they’re tough to find) necessary to the carnitas preparation. And do you want to know something? I still think they rival Chipotle.

As I have written before, taste is personal. So, if you don’t care for thyme, use less. If you like pepper, throw some extra in there. If you want a hint of rosemary (I’ve done this), toss it in! If you can’t find juniper berries, forget ‘em! Cooking is a subjective experience, and part of the fun is in unearthing flavors you crave through experimentation. That’s what I did with the recipe shared above. I modified it using ingredient types and quantities that suited me. This is merely a template from which you can experiment. That being said, it’s a heck of a template that’s sure to win the approval of many.

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Meal Plan for January Week 4

I lived as a vegetarian for more than a decade, and then I met my husband, who happens to be a hunter. I slowly tiptoed into the world of eating, and later, preparing meat, but it took a good while to find comfort in cooking foods so unfamiliar to me.

The first time I made a pot roast the thing was tough as leather. I was in my early 30s and, of course, I had invited people over for dinner to share this pot roast. They were gracious about this first attempt, and I went on to cook many roasts, all of which fared better than the first.

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Why Am I a Picky Eater?

“Food memories are very powerful memories,” wrote Psychologist Nancy Zucker—and they’re words that couldn’t be more accurate. 10 years ago I was having lunch at a restaurant. I couldn’t tell you the name of the place, but I’ll never forget what I ordered: a goat cheese salad with beets, chicken and, to my dismay, walnuts. My allergy to tree nuts sent me straight home and to the bathroom, where I stayed for the majority of the day.

For years after, I avoided ordering anything with goat cheese, despising the poor ingredient for reminding me of this miserable day (though, I’m not really sure why I gave the beets and the chicken a break). Until recently, the mere thought of goat cheese made my mouth dry and my stomach do backflips. Whenever the ingredient appeared in salad and pasta dishes, I tried to tell myself that if I just tried it again, I’d see that I wouldn’t get sick.

But I couldn’t do it, and it wasn’t that simple. That 11 year-old experience was one that marked the beginning of my journey with pickiness, and according to the science, I share this behavior with a significant amount of the world. My particular disliking to goat cheese was caused by a neurobiological response—even though the goat cheese didn’t directly cause my sickness, the association was still so strong that I’m able to make my brain believe that it’s still the cause, hence the nausea at the thought or sight of it. And when it comes to breaking this mentality, according to NPR, “you can get rid of it, but it’s not that easy.”

In her book, “Suffering Succotash: A Picky Eater’s Quest to Understand Why We Hate The Foods We Hate,” Stephanie Lucianovic shares her challenge of having to address her pickiness once she fell in love with a man with a food-loving family. I can relate to this. As someone who’s become increasingly passionate about food, I’ve been forced to confront this picky mentality that has seemed to follow me into adulthood, with goat cheese and beyond.

“I don’t know what causes picky eating because there are lots of potential reasons for it but no definite cause,” Lucianovic told me. “It could be based in psychology, genetics, food access, food prep, parenting choices, etc. Based on my research, I’d say most picky eaters have a combination of ‘causes,’ but it’s impossible to generalize.

It’s no surprise that everyone’s pickiness stems from something different. While my own brain and prior experience is to blame for my pickiness, a common cause is also genetics that can alter and affect the taste of food. How strongly someone takes bitter flavors, for example, can be attributed to specific genes that control the taste receptors in their taste buds. There’s also such a thing called a superstar, a term for someone who has an excessive amount of taste buds, and can be turned off of foods strong in flavor like rich desserts or spicy dishes.

“It’s not easy and there’s no silver bullet because everyone is so very different and also any single picky eater will fall on a huge spectrum of picky eaters,” says Lucianovic.

But for Lucianovic, there has been progress in alleviating her picky lifestyle. Some effective methods include cooking the foods she’s hated for years in an effort to control how they are prepared.

“I hated steamed Brussels sprouts and broccoli and it was the only way I ever had them but when I roasted them, they were amazing,” says Lucianovic (I have to say I strongly second this belief).

She also finds success in combining foods she hates with other flavors she actually likes.

“Having small amounts of sautéed greens with garlic, Parmesan cheese, and pasta made the greens much easier to tolerate, get used to, and eventually enjoy.”

As a fellow picky eater, I asked Lucianovic for advice for those (like me) aspiring to become more adventurous and accepting eaters as adults.

“Treat yourself gently and patiently,” she said. “And start slowly with one food at a time.”

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Easy Super Bowl Sheet Pan Suppers

Sports fan or not, you know the Super Bowl is more than just a game; it’s a cultural institution. Even if you don’t tune in “just for the commercials,” you can’t escape hearing about them, or the game itself—or the food traditionally associated with it. Leading up to February, you’re inundated with recipes for chili and chicken wings, which are tempting even if you’re not into football.

But if you’ve already satisfied your cravings for blue cheese dip and nachos (or, conversely, are making an effort not to eat too much in the way of dip and nachos), you’ll still need a meal to sustain you on the day of the Big Game.

If you’re looking for something a little different yet still festive-ish, you could try your hand at a pigskin-centric recipe, or go for a dish inspired by a particular team. But if you just want something simple and delicious and don’t care about acknowledging the occasion by making even a token bowl of guacamole, it’s a great time to toss a bunch of stuff on sheet pans and crank up the oven. The same is true of pretty much any lazy Sunday (or hectic weeknight, for that matter) of the year.

Sheet pan dinners are easy to put together, fairly quick to cook, mostly healthy, adaptable to various tastes and ingredients, and a breeze to clean up, but admittedly, they do have their limitations and aren’t quite the miraculous answer to all your dinner issues that many would have you believe. For instance, while the idea is to simply dump everything together and have it all cook perfectly with no other interference from you, that’s not always realistic. And even if you start with what appears to be an abundance of raw vegetables, they can sometimes shrink considerably.

Kirbie’s Cravings’ Sheet Pan Steak Fajitas

They’re really ideal for a small group of people, so if you’re hosting a big Super Bowl shindig, you’re probably better off ordering in pizza or setting up a build-your-own bowl buffet. For everyone else, here are some basic tips to get the best results:

1. Choose the right pan. Use a low-rimmed half sheet pan so air circulates well and you don’t lose any ingredients during stirring or when transferring the pans from counter to oven and back again.

2. Line it for easier cleanup. Parchment paper or aluminum foil really cuts down on mess; sometimes a little juice finds its way underneath (or seemingly magically through the foil, even when there’s no visible tear or breach), but it’s obviously worse if you forgo lining. That said, if you don’t mind a little more scrubbing, don’t sweat it. You can still lightly film the bare pan with oil or mist it with cooking spray (in addition to oiling your ingredients) so there’s less sticky mess to deal with once dinner’s done.

3. Consider your ingredients’ density, and cut them uniformly. Root vegetables like onions, carrots, and potatoes, and other harder veggies like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower work especially well in this format, but they should all be roughly the same size so they cook evenly. You can still add more tender produce like zucchini and tomatoes, as well as things like pre-cooked beans, but might want to wait until about halfway through so they don’t totally collapse.

4. Add ingredients in stages if need be. Even if all your vegetables will cook in perfectly timed harmony, you might need to start your protein sooner—or later. Pretty much any protein works, but whereas chicken pieces and cubes of beef or pork (not to mention tofu, seitan, and tempeh) can usually cook right along with the hardier veggies, more delicate things like shrimp, salmon, or other seafood generally only need a brief time in a hot oven. Of course, their size and thickness still matters, so you should always use your best judgement. If you have whole chicken parts, especially with bones intact, they may need to go in a few minutes early to ensure they’re cooked all the way through by the time everything else is done.

5. Coat everything in a little fat and season well. You can use whatever medium you prefer, although since sheet pan dinners tend to cook at relatively high heat, those with higher smoke points, like grapeseed and olive oils and ghee or clarified butter, are better. Toss your ingredients well in your chosen fat, as well as plenty of salt and pepper (and any other herbs or spices you want) before putting them in the oven—you can do this right on the pans too, no need to dirty a mixing bowl (and use latex gloves if you don’t want to dirty your hands either)—but don’t add a lot of sauce; a little lemon juice or vinegar is one thing, and if you marinated your meat, a bit still clinging to it is fine, but if there’s too much liquid in the pan, your ingredients will steam and soak and turn out wan and mushy, and if your sauce has a higher amount of sugar in it, it’s likely to burn if you add it at the very beginning.

6. Never crowd your pans. Speaking of steaming and soaking, you also want to make sure your ingredients aren’t piled up on top of each other without enough elbow room, or they won’t caramelize or develop proper texture. Use multiple pans if your chunks of meat and/or veg look like they need more space, and if you’re using larger pieces of meat like whole chicken breasts or thighs, consider elevating them on a small rack (even a raft of scrunched-up aluminum foil) in the middle of the pan to let them brown more uniformly and their juices drip down and disperse without completely swamping the vegetables.

7. Pay attention to finishing touches. If your ingredients are almost done (i.e. cooked through and approaching just the right degree of tenderness) but not looking their very best, turn on the broiler for the last few minutes of cooking time to impart color and even a few spots of crisp char. And when your sheet pans come out of the oven, consider sprinkling on some minced fresh herbs or other garnishes to brighten things up. Even a simple squeeze of citrus is nice, or you can drizzle on a slightly more complex creation, from Argentine Chimichurri Sauce to Lemon Dill Vinaigrette. Optional but highly recommended: serving with rice, grains, mashed root vegetables, or even toasted bread to bulk it up and catch all the juices.

And there you have it: a casual, satisfying, and not-too-demanding meal perfect for any occasion, whether you’re watching the Super Bowl, the Puppy Bowl, just commercials, something else, or nothing at all! Here are some specific sheet pan recipes to consider the next time you need an easy win at dinner time.

One Pan Garlic Ranch Chicken and Veggies

Damn Delicious

Ranch seasoning punched up with plenty of garlic seasons juicy chicken, carrots, and potatoes to perfection. Get the recipe.

Baked Sausages with Apples Sheet Pan Dinner

Jo Cooks

Use pork or chicken sausages and pair them with crisp-skinned fingerling potatoes, soft red onions, and sweet apples, plus fresh sage and rosemary. This is begging for some spicy whole grain mustard on the side, and maybe sauerkraut too. Get the recipe.

Sheet Pan Chili Lime Shrimp Fajitas

Le Creme de la Crumb

Zingy, tender shrimp and softly charred peppers and onions, all done in the same pan, are made for folding into soft tortillas with a squirt of lime and some avocado and cilantro, but would be equally good over rice. Get the recipe.

Sheet Pan Crispy Cheddar Pork Chops

The Recipe Critic

Panko and shredded cheddar combine for a beautifully crisp and flavorful crust on these pork chops, which would be delicious with pretty much any vegetables you’d like to throw in the pan. Get the recipe.

Sheet Pan Teriyaki Salmon & Veggies

Eazy Peazy Mealz

For something a little bit lighter, go with simple, healthy salmon and veggies in a classic teriyaki sauce. Get the recipe.

Sheet Pan Chinese Cashew Tofu

Catching Seeds

Or go totally vegetarian and bake tofu and vegetables together, as in this vegan sheet pan wonder (which does call for thickening the sauce in a separate pot first, but you could always cheat with something store-bought). Roasted cashews and sesame seeds add crunch. Get the recipe.

Fall Sheet Pan Pork Tenderloin with Honey Balsamic Roasted Vegetables

Good Life Eats

Most fall flavors work well all through winter, and honestly, this sheet pan pork tenderloin with rosemary, honey, and balsamic vinegar is so good you could eat it all year long. Golden beets and parsnips make interesting earthy-sweet additions to the more standard carrots and Brussels sprouts here, a good reminder to experiment with all kinds of veggies in sheet pan dinners. Get the recipe.

Sheet Pan Mongolian Beef

A Spicy Perspective

Ordering takeout is easy, but making this one-pan Mongolian beef barely takes any longer. As with any sheet pan recipe, you can also play around with the vegetables by adding and subtracting different kinds (think green peppers, mushrooms, broccoli, asparagus, snow peas, even celery, which turns silky when roasted). Get the recipe.

See our Super Bowl headquarters for more delicious ideas.

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