Description
Make flavorful pork carnitas in a slow cooker, finished under the broiler for a crispy exterior and tender interior.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 lb pork shoulder (Boston butt), trimmed and cut into 2-inch chunks
- 1 large orange, halved
- 1 lime, halved
- 1 medium yellow onion, quartered
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup water or chicken broth
Instructions
- Place the pork chunks in the slow cooker.
- Squeeze the juice from the orange and lime halves over the pork. Drop the spent citrus halves into the cooker.
- Add the onion, garlic, salt, cumin, oregano, and pepper to the slow cooker.
- Pour the water or broth over the ingredients.
- Cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours, until the pork is very tender.
- Remove the pork from the slow cooker and place it on a cutting board. Discard the citrus halves, onion, and garlic.
- Shred the pork using two forks. You can leave some larger chunks for better texture.
- Preheat your oven broiler to high.
- Spread the shredded pork in a thin, single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle 2 to 3 tablespoons of the cooking liquid from the slow cooker over the meat.
- Broil for 3 to 5 minutes, watching closely, until the edges of the pork are browned and crispy.
- Remove from the oven and serve immediately.
Notes
- Reserve the cooking liquid; you can use it to moisten the carnitas if they seem too dry after broiling.
- For extra crispiness, you can pan-fry small batches of the shredded pork in a hot skillet with a little oil instead of broiling.
- If you prefer a more traditional flavor, substitute the orange juice with 1/4 cup of lard or bacon fat added to the slow cooker.
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 8 hours
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Slow Cooking and Broiling
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 2
- Sodium: 450
- Fat: 28
- Saturated Fat: 10
- Unsaturated Fat: 18
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 3
- Fiber: 0
- Protein: 45
- Cholesterol: 140