Low Carb Pork Carne Guisada Recipe (2024)

4.67 from 3 votes

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Mexican

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours hours

Total Time: 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Pork Carne Guisada

• 2 pounds pork loin cubed
• 4 tablespoons oil
• 4 ounces onions (about ½ of a medium onion)
• 8 ounces green bell pepper (about 1 ½ peppers)
• 4 ounces tomato (2 roma tomatoes)
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon chile powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons cumin
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 bay leaf whole
• 2 whole cloves
• ½ stick cinnamon
• 1 quart chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch or arrowroot powder (optional)
• 1 tablespoon water

Cilantro Cauliflower Rice

• 2 pounds cauliflower
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 3 tablespoons ghee
• salt and pepper to taste

• Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a dutch oven on medium-high heat. Brown the cubed pork loin in batches removing the browned pork to a plate when finished cooking. Add more oil as needed.

• While the pork is browning, rough chop the peppers, onion, tomato and garlic. When the pork has been browned, add the rest of the oil and saute the vegetables in the pot. Add the chile powder, cumin, garlic powder, 2 cloves, half of the salt and the bay leaf. Saute until fragrant and then add the chicken broth, and browned pork loin with juices. Simmer for 1 ½ - 2 hours, until the pork is tender. At the last 20 minutes of cooking, add the cinnamon stick. Don't forget to remove the cinnamon stick and bay leaf before serving!

• While the Pork Carne Guisada is simmering, cut up the cauliflower and grate it in a food processor, or by hand. This will be your low carb cauliflower "rice". Put the raw, grated cauliflower rice in a microwave proof glass bowl and add 2-3 tablespoons of water. Cover with plastic wrap. When you are ready for dinner, microwave the cauliflower rice on high for 3-5 minutes depending on your desired texture. Carefully pour out the extra water. Add the ghee, chopped cilantro and salt and pepper to taste. Mix.

• I like to cook my pork garne guisada until the sauce is almost thick enough to eat in tortillas. Then, I add the thickener as a slurry. This is a personal preference. Others like their Pork Carne Guisada more like a stew. That's how I like my Beef Carne Guisada - more like a stew.

• At the very end of cooking, add the thickener by mixing 1 Tablespoon of the thickener with an equal amount of water to make a slurry. Pour into the stew and let the Pork Carne Guisada simmer for a few minutes until the sauce is thickened. (optional)

• To serve, spoon a serving of the Pork Carne Guisada over the cauliflower rice or spoon it into tortillas and serve the "rice" on the side.

Take the time to brown the pork really well. The caramelized meat as well as the caramelized bits in the pan contribute to fantastic flavor. Yes, it takes some time, but it doesn't have to be baby-sat while it browns, and it is totally worth it!