authentic carnitas recipe

Juicy, lightly crispy pulled pork slow cooked in spices and citrus juices, slow cooker carnitas are perfect for tacos, burritos, and more!

Slow Cooker Carnitas

boneless pork butt ((Boston butt, or pork shoulder))

salt

orange juice from about 1 large orange

lime juice

garlic (minced, about 1 tablespoon)

chipotle chile powder

cumin

oregano

chili powder

black pepper

onion

Flour or corn tortillas (or cooked brown rice)

Toppings of choice: chopped fresh cilantro (and feta

Trim

Trim the pork of excess fat and cut into 3 to 4-inch cubes. Season the meat on all sides with salt.

Stir

In a mixing bowl or large measuring cup, stir together the orange juice, lime juice, garlic, chipotle chile powder, cumin, oregano, chile powder, and black pepper.

Scatter

Scatter the onion in the bottom of a 6-quart or larger slow cooker.

Coat

Add the pork on top of the onion, then pour in the orange juice mixture. With a large spoon, turn the pork pieces to combine the ingredients and coat the pork with the juices on all sides.

Cook

Cover and cook on LOW for 5 to 6 hours or HIGH for 4 to 5 hours, until the pork is fall-apart tender and shreds easily with a fork.

Line

Place a rack in the upper third (but not topmost) rack of the oven and preheat the oven&#39;s broiler to high. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Shred

With two forks, shred the pork directly in the slow cooker, discarding any large bits of remaining fat. Stir the pork in the sauce to coat it evenly, then use a slotted spoon to scoop the pork onto the prepared baking sheet (it&#39;s OK for some of the juices to come with it). Spread the pork into an even layer.

Warm

To warm the tortillas, wrap them in foil and pop them into the oven’s center rack while the pork broils. Or, you can heat the tortillas in a dry skillet on the stove.

Broil

Broil the pork for 3 to 5 minutes, until the edges of the pork begin browning and crisping up (don&#39;t walk away! It can quickly start to burn).

Sauce

Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Spoon a little sauce over the top, lightly toss and stir the pork to expose unbroiled sides. Return the pan to the oven and broil for 3 to 5 minutes more (the meat should become nice and crispy at its edges). Repeat once more if you&#39;d like your pork a bit more crisp. Enjoy hot, piled into warm tortillas or over rice with toppings of choice.

This authentic carnitas recipe creates the most tender pork you can imagine! Make it for family dinners or to feed a party crowd.

Authentic Carnitas Recipe + Video

pork shoulder

garlic

orange

bay leaves

tbsp Mexican oregano ((See Note 1))

cinnamon

lbs pork lard ((See Note 2))

oz Piloncillo (or brown sugar (See Note 3))

milk

flour tortillas

refried beans

onions

cilantro

limes sliced

salsa verde

roasted tomato salsa

guacamole

carrots

Rub the kosher salt over pork. Place in a sealed container and refrigerate over night.

Remove pork from refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature.

In a large piece of cheesecloth, wrap the garlic cloves, orange, onion, bay leaves, Mexican oregano and cinnamon stick and secure with kitchen twine.

Melt the lard in a large, heavy stock pot over high heat. Carefully add the Seasoning Bundle, piloncillo (or brown sugar) and pork chunks.

Bring lard to a boil over high heat (350°F), lower to medium (adjust heat to medium low if pork turns brown too quickly) and cook, stirring often, for 90 minutes. Pork will turn a golden brown. Do not exceed to 370°F which is the smoking point of lard.

Turn heat to low and carefully add the milk. Stir and it will boil slightly for 30 seconds. Simmer for 20-30 minutes until meat is fall apart tender when gently squeezed with tongs or fork.

Carefully transfer pork from oil using a slotted spoon or spider to a serving platter lined with paper towels. Allow meat to cool slightly and shred by hand or using forks.

Serve with hot tortillas, refried beans, sliced onions, tomato slices, cilantro, limes and salsas of choice.

Frying

https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/DJi8uZRR.mp4

This authentic carnitas recipe creates incredibly flavorful, tender Mexican pork! Make this recipe for family dinners or for a party crowd.

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Slow Cooker Carnitas

Authentic Carnitas Recipe + Video

Top 2 authentic carnitas recipe recipes from across the web

The most viewed authentic carnitas recipe recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Slow Cooker Carnitas

Authentic Carnitas Recipe + Video

The most viewed authentic carnitas recipe recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine