Crock Pot Carnitas
Ingredients
- 3 lbs. boneless pork, can be ribs, shoulder, or butt, fat trimmed, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 2 cups chicken broth
- juice of two oranges
- juice of one lime
- 1 unit red or white onion peeled and quartered
- 6 - 8 cloves garlic peeled
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp ground cumin (optional)
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup pork lard or vegetable oil
- For the tacos:
- warm soft corn tortillas, your favorite salsa, chopped cilantro and onion, sliced radishes, chopped avocado and/or pickled red onions.
Instructions
- Place the pork at the bottom of the crock pot, cover with the broth, the juice and add the onion, garlic cloves and the spices. Salt and pepper to taste.
- Set your crock pot to High and cook for 5 hours (7 - 8 hours on Low), until meat is tender.
- Transfer the pork to a large bowl and discard the broth and solids. Shred the pork into bite-size pieces. Leave some larger pieces. Carnitas in Mexico are coarsely chopped from larger chunks, so no need to overshred. Season with salt and pepper.
- In a large non-stick skillet heat the lard or vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the shredded pork and press down some with a spatula, until crisped and browned, about 4 - 5 minutes, stirring often for even crisping. You don't want to dry out and overcrisp, just brown your Carnitas some. Transfer to a serving platter.
- Assemble tacos with warm soft corn tortillas, dollop your favorite salsa and garnish with your favorite ingredients.
Notes
Tyr not to overcrisp. You don't want dry Carnitas.
If you don't own a large enough skillet, brown the Carnitas in 2 or 3 batches, adding lard or vegetable oil each time.