Chipotle happens to be one of my favorite places to eat in the entire world. I could live off their carnitas and guacamole for the rest of my life and be in bliss with every single bite. So when Chipotle announced a shortage of my beloved carnitas in January, I was going out of my mind. How in the world would I get my carnitas burrito fix?!

The only solution was to make my own copycat Chipotle carnitas burritos! Thank goodness Pig of the Month has a screaming good pulled pork, right? It's slow roasted and tender texture is perfect for burritos, not to mention it tastes oh-so incredible when simmered in a spiced beer mixture. You can skip the crockpot and enjoy delicious carnitas in less than 15 minutes, which is unheard of. Now, no matter what happens with Chipotle's carnitas, I will also have my own homemade version that tastes just as good, if not better! What can I say, homemade always wins in the end, doesn't it?

INSTRUCTIONS: In a medium bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the cilantro rice. Stir to combine and set aside. In a separate medium bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the pico de gallo. Stir to combine and set aside.

In a large sauce pan over high heat, combine amber ale and all the spices for the carnitas. Stir to combine and bring the mixture to a boil. Add in the pulled pork and reduce heat to low. Simmer the pork in the beer mixture for 10 minutes. Strain and set aside. Now it’s time to assemble the burritos. First, wet 5 paper towels and stack them in between the flour tortillas, starting with a towel, then a tortilla, then towel, etc. Place this stack in the microwave and heat for approximately 15 to 20 seconds so they are easier to work with. 

Cut four sheets of aluminum foil, approximately 1-foot wide and about 6-7 inches tall. Starting with your first piece of aluminum foil, place a warm tortilla in the center. Add rice to the bottom half of the tortilla.

Top the rice with beans and pork. Then top with pico de gallo and queso fresco.

To roll your burrito, bring up the bottom to fold the tortilla in half. Then curl over the bottom half of the tortilla over the filling to press it down. Pack the filling as tightly as you can.

Tuck the tortilla in over the filling and begin to roll, stopping halfway up. Fold in the sides as tightly as possible. Continue to roll until it’s wrapped. Roll the burrito up in the aluminum foil the same way you just rolled the filling in the tortilla. Repeat with the remaining burritos and serve immediately. You can also store these in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in the foil wrapper in the oven at 175 degrees or remove the foil to reheat in the microwave.

Recipe & Photos by Meghan Bassett