Carnitas Rice Bowl
Freeze-dried pulled pork rebuilt in a pot with the spices that make it carnitas.
- calories
- 720
- weight
- 5.5 oz
- cal / oz
- 131
- protein
- 38 g
- serves
- 1, scales
- prep
- 5 min
- cook
- 12 min
- total time
- 17 min
- water
- 500 ml boiled
- cost
- $$
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Dinner
- Canister stove
- Alcohol / Esbit
- Liquid fuel
- Backpacking
- Basecamp
- Car camping
- Bikepacking
- Dairy free
- Nut free
- One pot
- Pre-mix at home
- Shelf stable
- Basic
Ingredients
| Freeze-dried or dehydrated pulled pork | 2 oz | shelf-stable stand-in for the slow-cooked shoulder |
|---|---|---|
| Instant rice | 3/4 cup | |
| Dried minced onion | 1 tbsp | |
| Garlic powder | 1/2 tsp | |
| Ground cumin | 3/4 tsp | |
| Ground coriander | 1/2 tsp | |
| Dried oregano | 1/2 tsp | |
| Ground cinnamon | 1/8 tsp | more than that and it reads like dessert |
| Red pepper flakes | 1/4 tsp | |
| Chicken bouillon | 1 tsp | stands in for the stock |
| Salt | 1/2 tsp | |
| Olive oil | 1 tbsp | dropper bottle |
| Lime crystals or a wedge | 1/2 tsp |
Method
- Boil 500 ml of water. Add the pork, onion, bouillon, salt, and the whole spice mix.
- Simmer five minutes with the lid on. The pork needs that time to take on water and pull apart.
- Kill the heat, stir in the rice, cover, and wait eight minutes without opening the pot.
- Pour the oil over and stir. Add lime last, off the heat, and eat from the pot.
Real carnitas is eight hours of pork shoulder in its own fat, which is not a trail move. What survives the translation is the spice profile: cumin and coriander for the base, oregano for the edge, a small amount of cinnamon to round it out, and pepper flakes for heat. Those are the parts you can carry in a bag the size of a thumb.
Bay leaves get dropped because they need long wet cooking to give anything up, and the stock becomes bouillon. The oil matters more than it looks — the original dish gets its texture from rendered fat, so a tablespoon stirred in at the end keeps the rice from tasting like dry seasoned grain. Lime goes in off the heat or it flattens out.
Packing
Spices, bouillon, and dried onion premixed in one small bag at home. Pork in a second bag, rice in a third. Oil and lime ride in the same pouch so nothing gets lost.
Variations
- Swap rice for instant refried beans and eat it with tortillas instead.
- A handful of crushed corn chips on top gives it some crunch back.
- Skip the pork and use TVP with vegetable bouillon for a vegan version.
https://dontwastethecrumbs.com/best-slow-cooker-carnitas