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Carnitas Slow Cooker (Mexican Pulled Pork)

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Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 8 hours
Total Time: 8 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 6
Carnitas is a mouthwatering dish where tender, juicy pork is slow-cooked with spices until it effortlessly falls apart. Perfect for tacos, burritos, or simply enjoyed on its own, this flavorful classic brings the taste of Mexico to your kitchen with ease.

Ingredients 

Rub:

  • 1 Tbsp kosher salt
  • 2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 Tbsp dried oregano
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil

Ingredients:

  • 4 lb pork shoulder
  • 1 tsp whole cloves
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 jalapeno, seeds removed, chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 orange, juiced plus its zest
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 cup beer, preferably a darker beer like Guinness or Modelo Negra

Instructions

  • Pat the pork shoulder with paper towel.
  • Mix all the ingredients of the rub together and rub all over the pork shoulder.
  • In a pan, on medium high heat, add cooking oil and sear pork shoulder on all sides for 3 minutes per side. Start with the fat side down. Remove pork shoulder and place in slow cooker, fat side up.
  • Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 6 hours. Flip over the pork shoulder halfway through.
  • Preheat oven to broil.
  • Remove pork and set it aside to cool.
  • Save one cup of strained broth.
  • Place the pork on a baking pan lined with parchment paper and shred it. Take 1 cup of the broth and pour over the shredded pork. Mix together.
  • Place baking pan in the oven on the top rack and broil for 5 minutes until the top of the pork meat is crispy. Not all areas will be crispy and that’s okay. Remove from oven and pour the remaining broth all over pork and serve!

Nutrition

Serving: 1portion | Calories: 363kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 124mg | Sodium: 1350mg | Potassium: 764mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 137IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 73mg | Iron: 3mg

Equipment

  • Pressure cooker

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