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Carnitas meat in two flour tortillas with fresh salsa.
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Husband Approved Carnitas

Tender, flavorful and cripsy Pork Carnitas is an complete dream come true when paired with Homemade Flour Tortillas and Pico de Gallo. Such an absolutely Amazing dinner that the whole family will love.
Course Dinner
Cuisine Mexican
Keyword Carnitas Recipe, Crispy Pork Carnitas, Pork Carnitas
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 hours 15 minutes
Servings 10 servings
Calories 206kcal
Author Heather

Ingredients

  • 3 1/2-4 lb pork shoulder *or pork butt roast
  • 1 lg brown onion *roughly chopped
  • 8 cloves garlic *crushed
  • 1 jalapeño *chopped (deseed for less heat)
  • 1 lg orange *juiced
  • 2 limes *juiced

Rub

  • 2 tsp sea salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 2 tbsp dried oregano
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 2 tsp coriander
  • 1 tsp chile powder

Crisping the Pork

  • 1/4 cup high heat oil *such as avocado

Garnish

  • fresh squeezed lime juice from lime wedges

Instructions

  • Remove pork from packaging and dry with paper towels.
  • Mix together ingredients for the rub in a small bowl.
    Spices for Pork Carnitas in a small white bowl before mixing.
  • Rub spices on all sides of pork and place in slow cooker liner with the fat cap facing up.
    Carnitas Spices Being Applied to Pork Roast
  • Add to the pork the onion, garlic and jalapeño.
    Adding of Onion, Garlic and Jalapeño to Carnitas Roast.
  • Pour in citrus juices.
    Addittion of Citrus Juices to Carnitas Roast.
  • Cook on low for 9-10 hours or on high for 5-6 hours (pork is done when it very easily shreds.)
    Cooking of Carnitas Roast in Slow Cooker.

Crisping Cook Pork

  • Once pork has cooked remove roast from slow cooker and place onto platter.
  • Using two forks shred meat into large chunks.
    Shredding Cooked Pork Carnitas on a silver platter.
  • Heat half of oil (about 2 tbsp, see notes below) in a large frying pan over medium high heat. Add half of the meat, spread evenly in pan. Let meat brown without stirring for approximately 2-3 mins. Flip meat over and repeat on other side. (This stage is meant to just crisp the edges of the meat and not actually brown.)
    Frying Shredded Pork Carnitas Meat in a stainless steel frying pan.
  • Remove pork from frying pan and repeat with second half of shredded pork.
  • Serve meat inside of a tortilla and sprinkle meat with juice from lime wedges. Top with favorite toppings.

Notes

Please use as many organic ingredients as possible. 
Recipe Notes
  • Traditional authentic Mexican Carnitas are seared in lard. If preparing the traditional way, simply substitute the same quantity of avocado oil for a good quality of lard. Note: Primal Pastures offers a high quality lard. 
  • Depending on the type of frying pan used for searing the carnitas additional oil may be needed. Example: Nonstick pans will only need a 1/4 cup of oil total where as stainless steel may require up to 1/2 cup oil. 
  • If possible, use a 12-14 inch frying pan to sear meat. If using a smaller frying pan, up to 4 batches may be required for searing. 
  • Calories for this recipe do not include tortillas and toppings. 

Nutrition

Calories: 206kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 65mg | Sodium: 544mg | Potassium: 383mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 116IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 2mg