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slow cooker pork carnitas
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Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas

Delicious flavors of freshly squeezed orange juice, cumin, and, oregano combine to create a succulent carnitas dish that will make everyone in the family happy.

Course Dinner
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 20 minutes
Servings 20

Ingredients

  • 4 lbs pork shoulder
  • 2 ½ tsp sea salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 yellow onion, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • ¾ cup juice from (from 4 oranges)

Rub

  • 1 tbsp dried oregano
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

  1. Rinse and dry pork shoulder.  Rub all over with salt and pepper.

  2. Combine the rub ingredients and rub all over pork shoulder.

  3. Place pork (fat cap side up) in slow cooker and cover with garlic, chopped onion and juice from oranges.

  4. Slow cook on high for 6 hours.  

  5. Pork should be tender enough to shred at this point.  Shred with two long pronged forks.  

  6. TO CRISP PORK:  Pour 1 tbsp olive oil in skillet turned up to high heat. With tongs, take a quarter of the shredded carnitas, and place in skillet. Drizzle in some of the leftover juice from the slow cooker.  Cook for a few minutes until one side is brown and crispy and liquid has mostly evaporated. Turn over and cook for about 30 seconds - 1 minute. You only want one side to be really brown and crispy so that you still have the tender pork in the mix. The mix of textures is amazingly delicious.

  7. Note:  You will want to crisp in about 4 batches.  It works best to not over crowd the pan.  The browning process moves quicker.

  8. Serve your delicious carnitas over fluffy rice or in soft or hard taco shells or over greens for a yummy salad.  Garnish with salsa, sour cream, etc....  Many different ways to enjoy these heavenly carnitas - Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Adapted from Recipe Tin Eats