Slow Cooker Carnitas

My slow cooker has not been getting a lot of use this summer. It is hard to find recipes that are not heavy when using it. But there is one dish that runs all year round to everyone's delight, tacos. I am all about easy dinners that taste like you slaved. These carnitas are in the slow cooker in fifteen minutes and at the end of the day you have tender, flavorful meat to pile onto tortillas with your favorite toppings. 

Slow Cooked Pork Carnitas (Mexican Pulled Pork)
Skinny Taste

Servings: 8 

Ingredients: 

• 2.5 lb pork shoulder blade roast, lean
• 6 cloves garlic, cut into sliver
• cumin
• dry adobo seasoning (I used Goya)
• garlic powder
• 3/4 cup 99% fat free chicken broth
• 2-3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (to taste, I take the seeds out)
• 2 bay leaves

Directions:

Season pork with salt and pepper. In a medium sauté pan on 

medium-high heat,brown pork on all sides for about 10 

minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Using a sharp knife, insert blade into pork, cutting small 

holes and insert garlic slivers. Season pork generously with

 cumin, adobo and garlic powder all over.

Pour chicken broth in the crockpot, add bay leaves and 

chipotle peppers. Place pork in crock pot and cover. Cook low 

for 8 hours. After 8 hours, shred pork using two forks and

 combine well with the juices that accumalated at the bottom. 

Remove bay leaves and adjust salt and cumin (you will 

probably need to add more). Let it cook another 15-30 

minutes.

Serve warm with tortillas, fresh chopped cilantro, avocado,

lime and all your favorite toppings. 

Enjoy! 

xo

Erin 

Cinco de Mayo Carnitas

With Cinco de Mayo just five days away, I wanted to share one of my favorite (and easy) Mexican recipes. This takes just a few steps and produces the most melt in your mouth carnitas I have ever made. It is the perfect base for a taco bar and a night of margaritas. I like to set out warm tortillas, crumbled queso fresco or cotija cheese, pickled red onions (recipe here), lots of chopped fresh cilantro and a variety of hot sauces. The recipe makes quite a bit, but you can certainly make even more for a large crowd. I like leftovers, as the carnitas are amazing the next day with fried eggs and tortillas. 


Carnitas
Epicurious April 2011
serves 8, 24-32 tacos


4 lbs pork shoulder (also called Boston butt, I know not a great moniker), cut into two inch cubes
3 cups water
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1/2 navel orange, halved
8 cloves of garlic, smashed
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 bay leaves
1 tablespoon sweetened condensed milk
2 teaspoons dried oregano, Mexican if you have it
1 tablespoon salt


Put all the ingredients in a wide 6 to 7 quart heavy pot (don't worry if the pork is not completely covered) and bring the water to a boil, skimming the surface and discarding any froth that comes to the top. Lower the heat and simmer vigorously, stirring occasionally, until the pork is fork-tender. About 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Discard the orange pieces and bay leaves. If the liquid hasn't evaporated, leaving just the fat, after two hours, transfer the pork pieces to a bowl and let the liquid continue to bubble away, stirring often until it has. 


Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Transfer the pork and fat to an ovenproof dish and brown, uncovered, in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes. This gives the pork that nice crisp on the outside. 


Carnitas keep in the refrigerator for up to three days. 


Note: If you want to make half a batch, cut the amount of pork, salt and oregano in half, but use the same amount of remaining ingredients and water. 


xo
Erin