Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas

Step 1

Place the raw pork in the slow cooker. Stab the pork 8 or 9 times with a knife about ½ way through the meat.

Step 2

Rub the pork shoulder with the chili powder, cumin, oregano, cinnamon, and salt. Place the bay leaves on top of the meat, and toss the onion into the crock pot ( I usually place two of the quarters on top of the meat and two next to the meat in the pot ).

Step 3

Stir the mixed garlic into one of the juices, and then pour all of the juice combined with the garlic, plus the chicken broth into the pot.

Step 4

Cover and cook on high for 5 hours or low for 8.

Step 5

After cooking, remove the bay leaves and the bone from the slow cooker pot and shred all of the remaining meat. This is a great point at which to let the meat cool and refrigerate or freeze it to have later.

Step 6

Immediately before serving the meat ( defrost in the fridge first, if you'd frozen it ), place the shredded meat in a thin layer on a jelly roll pan or other broiler-safe pan with sides. Broil on High for 5 to 7 minutes, or until edges of the shredded meat start to brown and crisp.