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Carnitas (Mexican Slow Cooker Pulled Pork)

Carnitas (Mexican Slow Cooker Pulled Pork)

Delicious carnitas bursting with flavor, juicy and crispy, perfect for tacos.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 15 minutes
Course Slow cooking
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 12 servings
Calories 578 kcal

Equipment

  • slow cooker
  • Non-stick pan

Ingredients
  

Pork and Seasoning

  • 2 kg pork shoulder (skinless, boneless) Can use bone-in pork, adjust weight accordingly.
  • 2.5 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 whole onion, chopped
  • 1 whole jalapeno, deseeded, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • ¾ cup juice from orange Approximately 2 oranges.

Rub

  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions
 

Preparation

  • Rinse and dry the pork shoulder, rub all over with salt and pepper.
  • Combine the Rub ingredients then rub all over the pork.
  • Place the pork in a slow cooker (fat cap up), top with the onion, jalapeño, minced garlic and squeeze over the juice of the oranges.
  • Slow Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 7 hours.
  • Pork should be tender enough to shred. Remove from slow cooker and let cool slightly. Then shred using two forks.
  • Optional: Skim off the fat from the juices remaining in the slow cooker and discard.
  • If you have a lot more than 2 cups of juice, then reduce it down to about 2 cups.

Crisping

  • Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large non-stick pan or well-seasoned skillet over high heat. Spread pork in the pan, drizzle over some juices and wait until the bottom side is golden brown and crusty.
  • Turn and briefly sear the other side; avoid making it brown all over.
  • Remove pork from skillet and repeat in batches, avoiding crowding the pan.
  • Just before serving, drizzle with more juices and serve hot, stuffed in tacos.

Notes

Use pork with the skin removed but leaving some fat cap on for juiciness. Different cooking methods and uses for carnitas noted in recipe.

Nutrition

Serving: 205gCalories: 578kcalCarbohydrates: 1.7gProtein: 45gFat: 42gSaturated Fat: 15gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 19gCholesterol: 173mgSodium: 616mgPotassium: 664mgSugar: 0.5gVitamin A: 40IUVitamin C: 4.3mgCalcium: 60mgIron: 2.9mg
Keyword Carnitas, Pork Carnitas recipe
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