SLOW COOKER TACO CARNITAS (PORK)

By carvalhohm

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 to 4 pound boneless pork roast (butt or shoulder)
• 1 cup chicken broth or stock
• 1 onion, peeled and quartered
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 teaspoons dried cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• Salt and ground black pepper, to taste

Details

Servings 10

Preparation

Step 1

Place pork in large slow cooker. Cover with chicken stock. Add onion, garlic, lime juice, cumin, oregano, bay leaves and orange juice. Sprinkle liberally with freshly ground black pepper and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours (or high for 4 to 5 hours).

Once pork is cooked and tender, remove from crock pot to a cutting board. Shred and stir in the desired amount of strained cooking liquids. Serve hot with taco fixings.

Servings: 8.

Optional: If you want to enjoy fuller flavor as enhanced by caramelization, once you remove the pork from the slow cooker to the cutting board, discard onion quarters and bay leaves. Strain any other solids from cooking liquid. Pour strained liquid into a medium pot. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, or until total amount is reduced to about 1 to 1 1/2 cups.

In the meantime, adjust the oven rack to the center position and preheat broiler. While broiler is heating, trim fat from pork and discard, then cut pork into 1-inch chunks (it’s okay if it somewhat shreds while you do this).

Once cooking liquid is reduced, season it generously with salt and pepper, and gently stir liquid into pork chunks. Taste and add more salt and/or pepper as desired. Spread pork in an even layer onto a foil-lined baking sheet. Broil in center position of oven for 5 to 10 minutes or until pork begins to brown and the edges turn dark and crispy. Remove pan from oven and use a wide spatula to flip pork, then return to oven for 5 to 10 more minutes to crisp up the other side as well. Serves: A lot … like 10 to 12.