From mexicanplease.com

Pork Carnitas Slow Cooker Recipe

8 servings · 15 min prep · 4 hours cook

Ingredients

For the carnitas

• 2 lbs pork shoulder
• 1 onion
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 jalapeno
• 1 orange
• 1 lime
• 2 teaspoons Mexican oregano
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 tablespoon chipotles in adobo sauce
• 2 teaspoons salt
• freshly cracked pepper
• olive oil

For serving

• 12-16 corn tortillas
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• finely chopped cilantro
• 3-4 limes

For Salsa Verde

• 4 tomatillos
• 1/2 onion
• 1 garlic clove
• 10-15 sprigs cilantro
• 1 serrano pepper

Steps

1. In a mixing bowl combine the spice rub ingredients: 2 teaspoons oregano, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 tablespoon adobo sauce, 2 teaspoons salt, freshly cracked 1 pepper, and a dollop of olive oil.
2. Trim off any excess fat from the 2 lbs pork shoulder and chop it into large chunks, approximately 2-3 inches wide. Add to the mixing bowl and thoroughly rub the spices into the pork chunks.
3. Add the 2 lbs pork to the slow cooker, along with 1 roughly chopped onion, 4 cloves peeled garlic cloves, and 1 jalapeno. Squeeze as much 1 orange and 1 lime juice into the slow cooker as you can. I add the leftover orange pieces to the slow cooker but this is optional.
4. Cook for 6-8 hours on low, or approximately 4 hours on high. When the meat pulls apart easily and is fully cooked on the inside it is done.

   4 hours

5. Remove any large veggie pieces and shred the 2 lbs pork pieces using two forks or a spatula. Taste for 2 teaspoons salt level and add additional salt if necessary (very important!). Let the shredded pieces cook for another 10-15 minutes in the slow cooker so the juices can infuse into the shredded meat.

   10-15 minutes

6. To crisp up the carnitas, you can either cook them in a skillet over medium-high heat with a bit of oil until the juices evaporate and one side crisps up, or you can cook them under the broiler in the oven for 5 minutes or so.

   5 minutes

7. To make 2 lbs pork carnitas tacos, warm up 12-16 corn tortillas. Each tortilla gets carnitas, Salsa Verde, ½ cup finely chopped onion, 10-15 sprigs cilantro, and a final squeeze of 1 lime.
8. To make Salsa Verde, pull the husks off the 4 tomatillos and give them a good rinse. Cut the stems out of the tomatillos. Roast the tomatillos in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until they start to turn army green. Add tomatillos to a blender along with ½ onion, 1 garlic clove, 10-15 sprigs cilantro, and ½ of the serrano pepper. Pulse blend and taste for heat level, adding more serrano if necessary.

   10-15 minutes

9. Store leftover carnitas in their juices in an airtight container in the fridge.

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