Slow Cooked Pork Carnitas

I'm going to catch mucho flack for this recipe, because Pork Carnitas absolutely should not be made in a slow cooker. The one true way to make this dish is to go easy on the seasoning and cook it in lard. Unfortunately, I don't yet have the confidence to proudly carry a bucket of lard home from the grocery store. Plus, this blog is all about being inauthentic but tasty! I promise I'll do another post one day featuring authentic Pork Carnitas, but until then enjoy this easy, deliciously blasphemous alternative.

Pork Carnitas

Serves: 20 tacos                   Prep time: 10 min                    Cook time: 8.5 hours

2 1/2-3 pounds pork shoulder, bone in

4 cloves of garlic

1 cup chicken broth

2 bay leaves

1 small cinnamon stick
Cumin to taste (about 1 tbsp)

Adobo powder to taste (about 2 tbsp)

Salt and pepper to taste

Corn Tortillas

White onion

Cilantro 

Lime
Salsa Verde

Slow Cook It

Trim off the big ol' landing strip of fat on top of the meat. Dice the garlic. Season the meat with salt and pepper, followed by cumin and adobo. Make sure to cover the meat without going overboard (if it looks breaded, you've gone too far). Place the cinnamon stick and bay leaves in the bottom of the slow cooker. Transfer the meat into the slow cooker, then place the garlic on top of and surrounding the meat. Pour chicken broth over everything and cook on low for 8 hours. 

Fry It Up

After 8 hours, the meat should look cooked but a little gloopy. Remove the bone, drain excess liquid (leaving about 1/2 inch of liquid) and shred the meat with forks. Heat a non-stick skillet on high. Using tongs, transfer the meat into the skillet and get a nice sizzle going. Turn the meat until brown and slightly crispy on the outside. 

Eat It

Load up about 3 tablespoons of the meat into a corn tortilla. Serve with chopped white onions, cilantro and a lime wedge. Option to also add Salsa Verde.