Get Melissa d'Arabian's slow-cooked Pork Carnitas recipe from Food Network, a fall-apart Tex-Mex meat dish spiced with oregano, cumin and orange.

Pork Carnitas

pork

Salt and black pepper

oregano

cumin

olive oil

onion,

garlic,

jalapeno, seeded and ribs removed, chopped

orange,

vegetable oil

Rinse and dry the pork shoulder. Salt and pepper liberally. Mix the oregano and the cumin with olive oil and rub all over pork. Place the pork in a slow cooker and top with the onion, garlic, and jalapeno. Squeeze over the juice of the orange and add the two halves. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or on high 4 hours.

Once the meat is tender, remove from slow cooker and let cool slightly before pulling apart with a fork. In a large saute pan, heat the vegetable oil over high heat. Press the carnitas into the oil and fry until crusty on one side. Serve.

I doubled the spices for a 4LB pork shoulder. I Salted the pork shoulder before adding the rest of the spices.  I take the shredded meat and all the juice and put it on a deep cookie sheet and broil it on low turning occasionally until all the juice is evaporated and I have a good crust on the meat.

This recipe rocks! I was skeptical to try it but still wanted to give it a whirl.  After reading some of the reviews I decided I would bump up the amount of spices; extra cumin, coriander instead of oregano, garlic powder (including 3 garlic cloves), S&amp;P, and added the juice of 2 limes, onion, jalapeno, and orange.  Ah-amazing! I could've eaten the entire pan after I threw it in the skillet to put a little crisp on it!! Oh, and I used about 2 pounds of pork loin because that's what I had/like.  Served with flour tortillas, cilantro lime rice, extra cilantro and a dab of sour cream.  Sooooooo full of flavor I might make it my midnight snack! Try it, you will not be disappointed!

I can't believe some people actually screw up the recipe and come up with something bland. The recipe did say use salt and pepper liberally.

I don't cook much, but this made me look good with everyone. I fried it with the drippings until one side was crispy, as the recipe suggested. Delicious! Thank you.

I've made this a few times and it's really easy and delicious. I only make a few changes. I use a lot more of all of the seasonings, by maybe 2-3 times the amount and I include a lime with the orange. I tried searing the pork before slow cooking, but it doesn't really add anything, so now I just put it in and turn it on.

Carnitas were great but don't skip the frying to crisp up the meat at the end!

I have made this recipe several times and it is fabulous.  Instead of the <span>jalapeno, I use chipotle in Adobo sauce,  I chop a couple of peppers (depending on how hot you want it) and cook it.  I also shred the meat, put it on a sheet pan and put it under a broiler.  You have to watch it but I think it is faster.  Also, I save some of the liquid and serve it on the table.  </span>

Excellent! Adjusted the spices for a 5lb. boneless loin and turned out terrific. Don't skip frying the meat in the oil and with the added crock pot juice. It makes a huge difference. Will be making this very often. No need to for Chipotle Carnitas anymore. :)<br />

Wonderful Recipe,  For those reviewers that say the meat is tasteless. Pour some of the juice from the Crock pot over the shredded meat.    I have cooked this for more that 50 People all of whom absolutely love it.   Try as a Breakfast Burrito with Eggs, Cheese, Fried Potatoes and this wonderful meat along with your favorite Green Salsa.   Yummmmmy....

I almost literally could not stay away from these. It was a huge amount of meat for two adults and a kiddo, so there were plenty of leftovers. I found myself grabbing little bites, plus using it for lunch for two days - I did NOT make another family meal with it, because then I would have to share! Made according to recipe. I recommend watching the quick video to see just how easy it is to make.

Is there a specific type of orange that should be used?  I'm asking because I made the recipe two weeks ago and used a large navel orange.  I left the halves in throughout the cooking process as instructed.  The meat turned out perfect, though my only complaint was that there was a strong bitter flavor associated with the orange rinds.  I'm planning on making this again tonight but am considering discarding the orange after juicing.  I'm also planning on adding 4-6oz of beer as well as I've read other recipes that use it.

https://www.foodnetwork.com/videos/melissas-pork-carnitas-0227356

A slow cooker is perfect for cooking Melissa's Pork Carnitas low and slow.

pork carnitas

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 hours

Total: 10 hours, 15 minutes

Servings: 5

Author : Melissa d'Arabian : Food Network

Ingredients

Instructions

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