Pork Carnitas (Mexican Pulled Pork)
Servings 10 to 12 people
Ingredients
- 5 lb 2.5kg pork shoulder skinless, bone-in
- 1 onion coarsely chopped
- 1 Jalapeno seeded and ribs removed, chopped
- 2 tbs salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 oranges juice only
Rub
- 1 tbs oregano dried
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tbs olive oil
Instructions
- Rinse and dry the pork shoulder, rub in salt and pepper
- Combine the rub ingredients then rub all over the pork
- Place the pork, in a slow cooker (fat cap up), top with the onion, jalapeno, minced garlic, and orange juice.
- Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or on high for 6 hours
- The meat should be tender and falling off the bone. Remove from the slow cooker then shred the pork using two forks.
- Skim off the fat from the juices in the slow cooker and discard. Transfer liquid to a saucepan and simmer until reduced to 1 1/2 cups
- To Freeze: Pour the juices over the pulled pork and store in zip lock bags or airtight containers
- To Serve: Heat 1 tbs of oil in a large non-stick pan over high heat. Place shredded pork into the pan and press down and cook until the bottom side is golden brown and crusty
- Pour over the juices and serve immediately ( if you are using defrosted carnitas, this is not applicable as the juices or already on the meat).
Notes
1 to make this in the oven, add 1 cup of water to the braising liquid. Place in 325F / 160C oven for 2 hours, covered, then roast for a further 1 to 1.5 hours uncovered. Add more water in the liquid dries out too much. You should end up with 1 1/2 to 2 cups of liquid when it finishes cooking