Carnitas (Slow Cooker Recipe)

• servings: 8 servings
• active time: 15 minutes
• total time: 6 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients

4 pound boneless pork butt or pork shoulder*

1 tablespoon dried oregano

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

½ cup orange juice (from two small or one large orange)

¼ cup lime juice (from 2 limes)

1 yellow onion (chopped)

4 cloves garlic (minced)

tortillas, chopped onion, chopped fresh cilantro, avocado, limes, etc. (for serving, as desired)

Directions

Place pork butt/shoulder in slow cooker.

In a small bowl, stir together the dried oregano, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper. Rub the spice mixture on all sides of the pork. Arrange the pork so that it is fat side up in the slow cooker.

Pour the orange juice and lime juice around the sides of the pork in the slow cooker, so as not to rinse off the spice rub on top of the pork. Add the onion and garlic to the slow cooker.

Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 5-6 hours, until pork shreds easily.

Remove the pork from the liquid in the slow cooker. Use two forks to shred the pork, discarding excess fat.

You can serve the pork now, or (the best way!) crisp it under the broiler. To crisp the pork, spread it out in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet (if desired, you can line the baking sheet with foil for easy clean up). Add a little of the juices from the slow cooker to the pork, but not too much. Put pork under the broiler in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes, until the edges start to crisp.

Serve in tortillas with toppings as desired, or in a burrito bowl, on a salad, etc.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 /8 cooked carnitas
• Calories: 309 kcal
• Total Fat: 8 g
• Saturated Fat: 2 g
• Trans Fat: 1 g
• Cholesterol: 136 mg
• Sodium: 710 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 5 g
• Dietary Fiber: 1 g
• Total Sugars: 2 g
• Protein: 52 g