Blackstone Carnitas with Pitiona Mole

Name: Blackstone Carnitas with Pitiona Mole
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: Variable — plan several tacos per person
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: Cooked sous-vide pork butt, broken into rough 1½–2 inch chunks — not fine shreds (as much as you have); 1–2 tbsp lard or bacon fat (or neutral oil), for crisping; A splash of reserved pork bag juices (optional, for moisture) — or stock; Pitiona mole, warmed — Garden-Enhanced Mole with Pitiona; 1 tbsp fresh pitiona, finely chopped (stirred into the warm mole before serving); Corn tortillas, warmed; White onion, diced; Lime, cut into wedges; Queso fresco, crumbled (optional); Cilantro, roughly chopped (optional)

Sous-vide pork butt gets crisped hard on the Blackstone, then tucked into tortillas with glossy pitiona mole.

The Blackstone Is Where Sous-Vide Pork Butt Gets Its Attitude

Sous vide already made the pork tender. Great. Tender is also kind of boring on its own.

What it’s missing is edges — the crisp, salty, fatty corners you “test” off the griddle until half the batch is mysteriously gone. That’s the Blackstone’s only job here: not to cook the pork, just to give it a crust and an attitude.

Then it gets glossy pitiona mole spooned over it — chile, chocolate, toasted seed, a little smoke. The pitiona doesn’t shout. It’s the aromatic ghost that makes people ask what’s in it.

Carnitas Are Chunks First

Real carnitas aren’t shredded from the jump. You cook them as chunks, then let them break up — crispy edges outside, tender strands where the meat gives way. That’s the texture we’re chasing.

Shred the pork before it hits the steel and it’s still tasty, but now it reads as pulled-pork tacos, not carnitas. So break the butt into rough 1½–2 inch chunks. Let some stay chunky, let some fray at the edges. Chunky-pulled is the sweet spot.

The Big Idea: Tender First, Crispy Second

Pork butt is a working muscle. Sous vide handles the low-and-slow so it comes out tender without drying out. By the time it hits the griddle, cooking it through isn’t the point — contrast is. Soft inside, crispy outside.

Dump soft pork in a tortilla and it’s fine. Crisp it hard at 450–500°F first and it’s dinner with a pulse: fat renders, edges brown, juices reduce. Paste has its place. Tacos deserve drama.

Set Up the Griddle Like You Mean It

Two zones. Hot side at 450–500°F for the pork — check it with an IR thermometer, because the knob lies. Cooler side at 325–350°F for tortillas and the mole.

Mole isn’t a smash burger. Blast it and the chocolate and toasted seeds catch and turn bitter. Warm it gently. It’s a sauce with a résumé.

Warm the Pitiona Mole

Park the mole in a small cast iron pan or saucepan on the cool side. Too thick? Loosen it with a splash of pork bag juices or stock.

Small splash. Not a “take me to the river” baptism.

Stir the fresh pitiona in right before serving and let it steep. Cook it to death and you lose the whole point — you want a bright lift, not a mouthful of shrub.

Crisp the Pork Hard

Carnitas chunks crisping on a hot Blackstone griddle, browned crackly edges

Spread the pork chunks on the hot zone, add lard, bacon fat, or oil, and then do the hardest thing in cooking: leave them alone. Poke and flip like a nervous raccoon and they steam instead of crisp.

Couple minutes. Flip. Scrape. Repeat. You want crackly browned edges and tender meat underneath. Some chunks hold, some fray apart — that’s carnitas doing carnitas things. Dry? Splash of bag juices. Wet? Spread wider and let the steel work. It should sound busy and smell like trouble.

Warm the Tortillas

Corn tortillas need heat, not abuse. Cool side, about 30 seconds a side until flexible and lightly toasted, then stash them in a towel so they stay soft.

A cold tortilla ruins a good taco. Non-negotiable. I don’t make the rules — actually I do, and that’s one of them.

Build the Tacos

Assembling tacos: chunky-crisp carnitas and pitiona mole on warm corn tortillas with onion, queso fresco, cilantro, and lime

Warm tortilla. Chunky-crisp pork. Spoon of mole. Onion. Queso fresco and cilantro if you swing that way. Lime at the end.

Pork brings crunch and fat, mole brings the chile-chocolate-seed depth, onion and lime cut the richness — which is how you talk yourself into a third one.

The Plated Version

Plated version: pitiona mole smeared on a plate with chunky crispy carnitas, queso fresco, onion, and cilantro

Want it to look less like Tuesday-night chaos? Smear mole across the plate, pile chunky crispy pork on top, scatter queso fresco, onion, cilantro, maybe a little toasted sesame. Tortillas on the side.

Same food, better posture. Tacos say “come eat.” This says “I own tweezers but don’t worry, I’m still fun.”

Why This Works

Every step earns its spot, and there’s real science under each one.

Sous vide makes it tender — gentle heat keeps the meat moist before a hard sear (the science).

The Blackstone browns it. That’s the Maillard reaction — the same magic behind seared steak and toast — and water is its enemy. Wet pork steams instead of browning, so spread it out, hit it with hot steel, and walk away like a grown-up.

Fat crisps the pork and carries the chile, because capsaicin dissolves in fat, not water. Lard and chiles are old friends.

Toasted sesame in the mole isn’t garnish — roasting rebuilds its aroma into something nuttier and deeper than raw seeds.

Then the pitiona slips in at the end. Not the boss, not a garnish begging for attention — just a quiet lift, the way a herb behaves when it has manners.

Tender first. Chunky-crisp second. Sauce last.

Happy cooking, my adventurous eaters.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are classic carnitas shredded or cubed?

Classic carnitas are usually cooked as chunks, then pulled apart or chopped after — not shredded from the start. For this recipe, rough 1½–2 inch chunks give you the best texture: crispy edges, tender centers, and a few pulled strands at the edges.

Can I make this if my pork butt is already cooked sous-vide?

Yes. That is exactly the point of this recipe. The pork is already tender, so the Blackstone is only there to crisp the outside and build browned flavor.

What Blackstone temperature should I use for the pork?

Use 450–500°F on the hot zone, measured with an IR thermometer. That gives you crisp edges without spending forever on the griddle.

What temperature should I use for warming the mole and tortillas?

Use a cooler zone around 325–350°F. Mole should be warmed gently so it stays glossy and does not scorch, and tortillas only need enough heat to become flexible and lightly toasted.

Should I mix the mole into the pork before crisping?

No. Crisp the pork first, then add mole when serving. If you sauce the pork too early, the griddle will steam the meat and the crispy edges will disappear. Crispy first, sauce second. This is the law.

How much pitiona should I use?

Use enough to give the mole a subtle aromatic lift, not enough to make it taste like an herb sauce. Stir chopped fresh pitiona into the warm mole near the end and let it steep gently.

Can I use oil instead of lard?

Yes. Lard or bacon fat gives the pork a richer flavor, but neutral oil works. The main goal is enough fat to help the pork crisp instead of stick.

What can I serve with these tacos?

Serve them with warm corn tortillas, diced onion, lime, queso fresco, and cilantro. If you want a fuller plate, add beans, rice, radishes, or a simple cabbage slaw.

Can I make this without a Blackstone?

Yes. Use a large cast iron skillet or carbon steel pan. You will need to work in batches so the pork browns instead of steaming.

Why does the pork need to be spread out?

Because crowded pork steams. Spread it thin so moisture can escape and the hot griddle can brown the meat instead of just heating a pile of wet pork.

Why add pitiona at the end?

Fresh pitiona is aromatic, so adding it near the end keeps its bright herbal lift alive. Cook it too long and you lose the part that makes it interesting.