With just a few minutes of prep work, this slow-cooked pork carnitas recipe is easy to make. Use the tender pulled pork as a juicy burrito filling, or crisp it up in a skillet to make unforgettable tacos.
Instructions
1
Ready the roast
2
In a small bowl, mix the minced garlic, cilantro, salt, oregano, chili powder, cumin, paprika, pepper and cayenne pepper. Cut the roast in half, and rub all sides with the spice mixture. Editor's Tip: Cutting a bone-in roast might seem intimidating, but you've got this—even if you know nothing about butchery! A whole roast is too large for most slow cookers, so it just needs to be cut down to fit. It doesn't have to be perfect (or even pretty). Simply locate the bone and cut parallel to it using a sharp knife. The scapula bone is misshapen, so you may still run into it. That's OK; just turn the knife outward and cut around it.
3
Slow-cook the meat
4
Place the roast in a 5-quart slow cooker coated with cooking spray. Combine the pineapple juice, soy sauce, stock, lime juice and peppers, and pour the mixture around the meat. Cover the pot and cook the meat on low for 9 to 11 hours, or until the meat is tender.
5
Pull the pork
6
Remove the meat from the slow cooker, and skim the fat from the cooking juices. When the pork is cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones and discard the bones. Shred the meat and return it to the slow cooker. Let it heat through before serving it. Editor's Tip: To skim fat from the cooking juices, scoop it off the surface with a large serving spoon or ladle. You'll take some cooking juices with it, but don't worry; there should be plenty! Another way is to pour the liquid into a fat separator. This vessel is designed with a low spout that leaves the fat behind while pouring out the cooking juices.
7
Roll up the carnitas
8
With a slotted spoon, add 1/2 cup of the shredded pork to each tortilla. Top each one with 1 tablespoon of sour cream and 2 tablespoons of cheese. Fold the sides and ends over the filling, and roll up.
