Carnitas are a Mexican specialty of seasoned pulled pork, traditionally fried in lard, with a pleasing mixture of tender and crispy browned parts. Carnitas are great in sandwiches, or as a filling for arepas or tamales.
This simplified recipe avoids the deep-frying step, and takes advantage of the slow cooker's ability to produce very tender meat. A quick trip under the broiler at the end produces the caramelized, browned meat that typifies excellent carnitas.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 6 hours
Total Time: 6 hours, 10 minutes
Yield: About 3 cups pulled pork
Ingredients:
- 3-4 pound pork shoulder roast (Boston butt)
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- Juice of one lime
- 1 cup salsa
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 tablespoons brown sugar
Preparation:
- Remove excess fat from the pork. No need to remove all of the the fat - just the really big pieces. Cut the pork into 3 or 4 pieces and sprinkle all over with salt and pepper.
- Place all the ingredients in the crockpot and cook on low for about 6 hours, or until pork is very tender and can be pulled apart easily with a fork.
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Preheat the broiler.
- Shred the pork, and place in on the baking sheet. Pour the sauce from the crockpot over the pork and mix gently.
- Broil meat, turning once, until brown and caramelized around the edges, or desired amount. (about 5 minutes)
- Serve warm with rice, beans and tortillas.
