Description
Slow roasted and bursting with herbs and spice, these carnitas are the perfect stuffing for taco shells and tortillas.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 4 –5 lb/2-2.5kg pork shoulder/butt (bone in will be heavier than boneless)
- 3 TB salt
- 2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
- 4 TB olive oil, divided
- 1/4 cup fresh minced cilantro
- 2 TB fresh minced oregano
- 2 1/2 TB garlic paste
- 1 tsp cumin
- zest of 1 orange
- 3/4 cup fresh orange juice
- 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
- 1 small sweet onion, finely diced
Instructions
- Remove the pork shoulder from the packaging and rinse. Pat dry with paper towels, and rub the salt and pepper over the entire surface of the shoulder.
- Combine 2 TB of the olive oil, cilantro, oregano, garlic paste, cumin and orange zest together in a small bowl. Whisk until combined and rub the entire mixture into the pork, over top of the salt and pepper. Place the seasoned pork shoulder into the slow cooker, add the orange and lime juices along with the diced onion and cover with the slow cooker lid.
- Allow to cook on high for 7 hours or low for 10 hours. When the pork shoulder has finished cooking, carefully remove it from the slow cooker and transfer to a large cutting board. Use 2 forks to shred the pork and set it aside. Save the juices in the slow cooker.
- Add the remaining 2 TB olive oil to a skillet and place over medium/medium high heat until the oil begins to shimmer. Add a single layer of shredded pork to the hot skillet, making sure not to crowd the pan or mound the pork. Everything you add to the pan should touch the bottom. Allow each batch of pork to cook undisturbed so that it forms a nice crust.
- When you see the bits of pork on the bottom of the pan begin to turn a deeper brown, add enough of the leftover juices from the slow cooker to deglaze and lift the browned bits from the pan. Remove the crisped pork to a serving dish and repeat with the remaining shredded pork. If you run out of juices to add to the pan, use chicken stock or water.
- Once all the pork has been crisped, serve hot with tortillas, taco shells or rice. Refrigerate any leftovers in a sealed container for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5-6 oz shredded pork
- Calories: 381
- Sugar: 2.4 g
- Sodium: 726.8 mg
- Fat: 22.3 g
- Saturated Fat: 6.9 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 13.3 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 31.5 g
- Cholesterol: 126.2 mg