Beef Carnitas

Thanks, Fred, we are on vacation and I don't have my usual Cooks Illustrated ground beef taco meat recipe with me, and your improvements to this recipe made for a delicious substitute! I think if I hadn't added your extra spices this would have been dull indeed. I only used just over a pound of stew meat (for two) and halved all ingredients and it was delicious! Back at home I'd love to try the full amount in my slow cooker per other readers - even more tender and enough to freeze! I'd also try getting a small chuck roast and trim/cut into 1-inch pieces, so much more reliable than packaged stew meat. A real winner, this will go into the rotation.

My family loves this recipe.  Next time I might up the garlic and red pepper flakes and maybe add some cumin.  My son likes it over brown rice.  For me, I heated up some corn tortillas on the grill, add cilantro and some Cotija cheese. Mexican Rice and black beans on the side. Simple and delicious.  I found the key to flavorful beef is to simmer until almost all liquid is gone, no matter how long it takes.  8 minutes in the recipe is not long enough.  

Thanks for the additional spice suggestions and amounts. Based on the smell coming from my pot, its going to be awesome!

I make this with 6 pounds of beef every year for my taco party. It's always a hit. It freezes well too, so it's worth making a large amount so that you can have it again later. I do it in a crock pot and it usually cooks for 6-8 hours, depending on the cut of meat I use. I also add a little lime juice. The orange isn't quite enough citrus.

With a few spice additions, this is one of my favorite recipes. I took what previous reviewers had recommended for spice additions (thanks for the ideas) and put numbers on them. When you add the spices, also add: 1/2 tbsp chili powder 1 tsp ground cumim 1 tsp ground coriander 1 tsp paprika 1 chipotle in adobo sauce (if you want it hotter, add more red pepper flakes. 1/2 tsp has noticeable kick and may be too hot for some) If you can get ahold of dried chiles, it's worth it to make your own chili powder. It's so much better than store bought. I use this recipe: http://amazingribs.com/recipes/rubs_pastes_marinades_and_brines/chili_powder.html Also I second a previous review that it's helpful to cut the beef up smaller than recommended so you don't end up with beef stew, or else shred it after cooking.

Great tasting meat. I served like nachos with unsalted tortilla chips and a little jack cheese.

We thought this was just OK. I made it as written, and we felt it lacked spice and flavor. I noticed many reviewers added to the recipe to spice it up. There was too much liquid at the end, even after simmering uncovered for 10-15 min. The cubes of beef had the appearance of beef stew. I've always used a whole chuck roast for carnitas, and shredded the meat after cooking.

It was a very good base. I added a bay leaf, orange juice, cumin, roasted coriander, a whole orange, a scant of cloves and cumin.

This rates up there with one of the best things I've ever eaten (ok, ok out of say, 100). The flavor is exceptional and it's easy to put together. We had the tacos last night and tonight we're going to have the oriental-style salad. And I'm squeezing out some to make enchiladas on Friday. So much for not eating red meat! (At least mine was neighbor-raised ;) Next time I'm making double or triple this recipe to store in portions in the freezer. WHY DOESN'T THIS HAVE FIVE STARS??

Idea is fine, but as written it needs more flavor. I made only half the meat and onions (but used all the beef broth indicated) and added a full TB of chili powder when browning, then a whole chipotle in adobo when reducing the sauce. With those additions, yes, it's a fantastic filling for soft tacos with nothing added but a little fresh tomato, cilantro & lime.

This recipe is so simple, and yet it just WORKS! I was skeptical, but wow! Especially with the added veg in the Carnitas Empanadas, it's perfect. I used 2 lbs. beef taco meat from my local latino groc., so only needed to cook it for 45 min, and then took the lid off for another 15 min. I like things pretty flavorful, and the empanada filling is great.

My whole family loves this. I have been making this for years. I like to make a big batch ht before soccer season and freeze for those crazy nights when I am schlepping the kids to and from their activities.

This is a great recipe. Super-easy to make and delicious. I love spicy food, so I add more crushed red pepper and cumin, as I saw suggested in other reviews. I serve this with brown rice and corn and can easily make it into a burrito. Yummy.

This is one of our favorite taco/burrito fillings. I always add cumin, extra garlic, Mexican oregano (from Penzeys spices) & an extra 1/2 cup broth. I have also tried it with a lime wedge (out of oranges & not going to the store) & been happy with the results. Serve with either black beans or spanish rice (both CL recipes) & corn on the cob.

I could not believe how flavorful this recipe was with so few ingredients! I made the recipe just as written and was amazed. I will make this again.

This tasted like beef stew meat and I was disappointed. I almost made taters and called it a day. After cooked and before I made a Mexican dish i doctored up with sauteed jalapeno, onions, garlic and cilantro. Along with the enchilada sauce that was just ok by itself, the sum turned out greater than its parts. I think the enchilada sauce was from Epicurious.com.

The beef is so tasty. I just finished cooking the meat and I have to stop eating it so we can use it for tacos tonight. I added about a teaspoon of cumin and ancho chili pepper to the seasonings, but otherwise followed the recipe exactly. So good. Just a hint of the orange and just a touch of heat. Very flavorful. Can't wait to try the tacos.

Per other reviewers suggestion I added some cumin, coriander, chipotle chili powder and paprika. I also had some leftover chipotle salsa in the fridge so I threw that in too and doubled the garlic. I was using tangerines so I cut one in quarters and put two of the quarters in. Simmered on the stove for about an hour forty five minutes. Took the beef out and shredded it then put it back in the liquid. Then I took the top off the pan and simmered until the shredded beef had absorbed all the liquid which made the beef very flavorful. Would definitely make again.

I made this for our Cinco de Mayo Supper Club about 18 months ago, and it was fantastic. I had doubled the recipe but followed it exactly otherwise. I made it again tonight - and again doubled the recipe - but it's very bland, and the liquid did not cook down nearly as much as it should. I wish I could recall how long I cooked it for last time, because it was really perfect, but tonight after 90 minutes on low I felt like there was MORE liquid than when I started. It's been an additional 40 minutes now with the lid off and it's still cooking down... hoping the flavor improves after an additional hour of simmering. Will plan to make this into the beef carnitas tacos like I did previously for Supper Club - it was a hit that night!

This meat is really delicious. Tender, easy and great for guests and large parties. I've made both the tacos and the mole enchiladas and they are both great, though I think I prefer the tacos. I increased the salt, red pepper and orange to punch up the flavor a bit. The second time I made this I doubled the recipe to freeze some, and since I doubled the broth I had to simmer probably 30min longer to absorb most of the liquid. But the meat was extra tender. Even so, I will probably use less broth next time I double.

Wow. What an easy recipe and extremely tasty. Mine took longer than 1.5 hours but it was worth the wait. Excellent and will make again.

Outstanding is right! This was so much better than regular ground beef tacos. And it was super easy -- long cooking time, but once you chop the onion and garlic, you're set. While it was cooking I made black beans from CL's black beans and rice with cheese recipes and prepped all the toppings. Offered soft and crispy taco shells, along with shredded cheese, salsa, guac and sour cream as toppings. Double-yum!

Super good, super easy. I will definitely make this again.

These are fool-proof and delicioso! They have a comfort food quality and are very basic, so even picky eaters loved them. The only thing I'll change next time is the amount of salt - will reduce to 1/2 tsp.

Wow! These are so good! I pretty much followed the recipe exactly, except I tend to like things a bit spicier than Cooking Light recipes, so I added extra garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. My only word of caution: be careful how much salt you add to the recipe. I tasted the meat about halfway through the cooking process and felt that it needed more seasoning. However, I realized a bit later that as the liquid evaporates, the concentration of seasonings becomes stronger (duh!). Luckily for me I hadn't added too much salt and the final result is perfect, but just be careful! I can't wait to try these carnitas with the empanadas tonight!

Wow. I mean...wow. So flavorful. I substituted three whole jalapeno peppers for the red pepper. They gave it just a hint of heat, but very nice flavor. I also used an extra cup of broth and simmered about 30 minutes longer...the extra flavor and tenderness was worth the time.

Really easy to throw together and produces a very flavorful result. Great "as is" in a flour tortilla, with small dishes of room temp toppings (salsa, cilantro, scallions, tomato). Made the day before as the base for CL's beef carnitas empanada -- very good.