Carnitas Slow Cooker (Mexican Pulled Pork)
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 dry the pork shoulder with paper towels.
- 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 the pork shoulder on all sides for 3 minutes per side. Start with the fat side down. Remove the pork shoulder and place in the 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 the pork and set it aside to cool.
- Strain the broth. 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 the baking pan in the oven on the top rack and broil for 5 minutes until the top of the pork is crispy. Not all areas will be crispy and that's okay. Remove from the oven and pour the remaining broth all over the 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