Am I the only person who could eat Mexican food any day of the week??? I just love fresh pico de gallo, warm tortillas, cool guacamole and spicy sauces. These slow cooker pork carnitas give me all of the flavors I love in one dish.
I have tried many slow cooker mexican pulled pork recipes and this is by far my favorite because it has great flavor and you end up with moist pork that is crispy on the edges. Yum!
I also love it because it's the perfect dish to feed a crowd. Since you are using the slow cooker, you can use an inexpensive cut of pork, also you can start the meat early in the day leaving you more time to get ready for your guests. When it's time to serve dinner, everyone can customize their own carnitas by adding the toppings they want. Win, win situation here people. You are going to want to invite some friends over after you see just how easy and yummy these pork carnitas are.
Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas
(Recipe adapted from Closet Cooking)
(Serves 20-24)
8 cloves garlic, peeled
1 large onion, peeled and quartered
2 oranges
2 limes
1 ½ Tablespoons cumin
2 Tablespoons chili powder
1 Tablespoon oregano
1 ½ Tablespoon salt
2 Teaspoons black pepper
7-8 lbs boneless pork butt (aka pork shoulder)
Place garlic and onion in slow cooker. Add the juice of 2 oranges and 2 limes to slow cooker.
Combine cumin, chili powder, oregano, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Coat meat with seasoning mix and rub into all sides of the pork.
Place seasoned meat into crockpot on top of the onions, garlic and citrus juices, cover with lid. Cook on low 6-8 hours or until meat easily shreds with fork. Shred pork either in crockpot or on a sheet pan. Put shredded pork back into juices until ready to serve. (This is an important step. The shredded pork will soak up a lot of the flavorful juices and this will keep it moist during the next step, so make sure you shred it at least 30-60 minutes before serving so it has time to absorb the liquid.)
With a slotted spoon move pork to a baking sheet. Preheat oven to broil. Broil pork for 3-5 minutes or until edges are crispy. Be careful not to dry out pork by broiling for longer than 5-8 minutes.)
Put pork in a warm flour or corn tortilla and top with your favorite toppings. Some of my favorites are chopped cilantro, guacamole, sour cream, fresh lime juice, pico de gallo, salsa, red onion, cotija cheese, salsa verde and chopped tomatoes.
I know this recipe makes a ton but even if you aren't serving a small army you will want to make a big batch because the leftovers are so versatile. They are delicious in burritos, quesadillas or enchiladas. I also like to freeze the leftover pork in an airtight container because it makes a quick and delicious last minute dinner on a busy night. (Also, it's very easy to cut this recipe in half if you want to have 10-12 servings instead.) Enjoy!
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