Citrus Pork Carnitas Slow Cooker
Course: DinnerCuisine: MexicanDifficulty: Easy4
servings15
minutes7
hoursI am not the biggest fav of slow cookers but I must say I have the All-Clad Slow Cooker and love it. I don’t use it a lot but when I do I am happy with the results. I like that the insert comes out and can be use on the stove for prep and for reheating. I think a lot of flavor is lost when having to sauté or brown onions/meat in another pan then add it to the slow cooker. This recipe is delicious as well as being lighter than most carnitas recipes. I love the use of citrus, beer and dried Mexican oregano. I did add some chopped jalapeño as I wanted it to have a little kick to it, but otherwise the recipe is perfect. I served it with warm tortillas, Spanish rice, black beans, salsa and guacamole. I also shredded some cabbage and roasted peppers with red onions so my family could make tacos.
Ingredients
1 boneless pork shoulder, 3-4 lbs
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
1 teaspoon penzeys Fajita seasoning (optional)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups Mexican lager style beer, such as Modelo or Dos Equis
1 Jalapeño, seeded and chopped (optional)
Grated zest from 1 orange and juice from 1 orange
Grated zest from 1 lime and juice from 1 lime
1 Tablespoon dried Mexican oregano
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Directions
- Season the pork with salt, fresh ground pepper and the fajita seasoning.
- Place the insert on the stove over medium high heat, and heat the oil. Once hot, add the seasoned pork and sear on all sides, about 10 minutes total. Transfer to a plate.
- Add the onions and garlic to the insert on the stove and cook stirring, until they soften. Add the chopped Jalapeño and sauté for 1 minutes. Add the beer and deglaze the insert, scraping up any browned bits and stir with a wooden spoon. Bring to a boil.
- Transfer the insert to the slow cooker, add the pork and any juices from the plate. Add the orange and lime zests and juices as wells the oregano. Give the liquid a quick stir in the insert and cover with lid.
- Cover and cook on low about 8 hours until the pork is very tender. (I cooked a 2 1/2 lb pork and it cooked for 6 1/2 hours and then on warm for almost 2 hours, It was perfect.
- Transfer pork to a cutting board, allow to rest for 8 minutes loosely covered with foil. Using two forks tear apart the meat and break into bit size pieces. Skim off the fat off the cooking liquid.
- Arrange pork on a serving platter and spoon some of the cooking liquid over and garnish with fresh cilantro.
