Pork Carnitas
If my boyfriend could pick one meal to eat everyday for the rest of his life, it would be Pork Carnitas. So here is a fail proof recipe for the best carnitas around!
From the kitchen of: Carlsbad Cravings
Category: Pork
Pork Carnitas
Serves: 6-8
INGREDIENTS
4-5 lbs pork shoulder/pork butt trimmed of excess fat
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoons liquid smoke **
2 bay leaves
1 onion, chopped
1 jalapeno, deveined, deseeded, chopped
Wet Spice Rub
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon reduced sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 tsps EACH dried oregano, salt
1 tsp EACH chili pwdr, garlic pwdr, onion pwdr
1/2 tsp EACH smoked paprika, pepper
1/2-1 teaspoon ground chipotle chili pepper (optional for heat)
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over high heat in a large nonstick skillet. Using tongs sear pork on all sides until lightly browned. Transfer pork to cutting board until cool enough to handle.
2. Meanwhile, whisk together all of the Wet Spice Rub ingredients in a medium bowl. When pork is cool enough, massage Wet Spice Rub evenly all over the pork and transfer pork to slow cooker.
3. Add orange juice, lime juice, liquid smoke, and 2 bay leaves to slow cooker. Top pork with onions. Cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours or on high for 5-6 hours OR until pork is fall apart tender and easily shreds with a fork.
4. Remove pork from slow cooker and move to cutting board, shred, and add back to slow cooker and toss with juices. Cook on low for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with foil.
5. After 20 minutes, remove pork (do NOT discard juices in slow cooker) and add shredded pork to both baking sheets in an even layer. Drizzle with some of the remaining juices (about 1/4 cup) and bake for 15 minutes then broil to desired crispiness, watching closely so meat doesn’t burn (about 5-10 minutes). Drizzle with additional juices and toss.
6. Serve warm in tortillas