Ingredients
- 2 lbs pork butt/shoulder roast*, cut into 1.5″ pieces
- 2 tsp Mexican oregano
- 2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp black pepper, freshly ground
- 1-2 chipotles in adobo sauce, finely chopped
- 1 orange, rinsed and cut in half
- 1 lime, rinsed and cut in half
- 1 onion, peeled and quartered
- 4-6 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
- 1 jalapeño, rinsed and cut in half
Equipment
Method
Cook the Carnitas
- Cut the pork into 1″ pieces and add them to the bottom of a slow cooker. Sprinkle with oregano, salt, cumin, black pepper, and chipotle. Toss well to combine.
- Squeeze as much juice as you can from the orange and lime pieces over the pork, then add the whole lime and orange pieces. Add in the onion, garlic, and jalapeño.
- Cook for 8 hours on low (preferred) or 4 hours on high.
- The carnitas are done when it is ultra-tender and falls apart when you touch it. Around this time, prep rice, salad, beans, and/or salsas to serve.
Crisp Up the Carnitas
- Remove the meat from the slow cooker - lots of juice will remain. You can save this after straining or discard at a later time1. Preheat your broiler.
- Cover a tray or oven safe skillet in tin foil for easy clean up. Shred the meat and add as much as you want to serve for dinner in a single layer to the tray. Drizzle lightly with some of the carnitas liquid for extra fat/juiciness.
- Broil in the top 1/3 of your oven for 5 minutes on high, watching for burning. Once it begins to brown and have crisp edges, remove from the broiler and serve immediately with fresh corn tortillas, salsa, and any sides you desire. Enjoy!