What could be better than melt-in-your-mouth pork carnitas when you’re stuck inside during a blizzard?

I’ve made this dish a few times, and not only is it simple to make, it’s very versatile. The pork can be used in tacos and burritos, as a pizza topping, as a pulled pork sandwich, or served with eggs — for starters.

Ingredients for the pork:

4-5 lb. pork shoulder (bone in)

1 – 1½ tbsp. salt

2 tbsp. cumin

8-10 cloves of garlic, minced

2 cups chopped fresh cilantro (set 1 c. aside for the salsa)

½ cup pork stock (beef or chicken can substitute)

1½ cups freshly squeezed orange juice

juice from 1 lemon

Start out by prepping all the ingredients. Measure the salt and cumin, combine and set aside.

Peel and mince the garlic.

Wash and chop the cilantro leaves.

Juice the citrus.

Now for the pork.

Remove the meat from the bone and cut in to 1 to 2 inch cubes. Put the bone in the crockpot.

The pork cubes need to be browned, in batches, before going in to the crockpot. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a pot or frying pan. Add one layer of pork cubes to the pan and sprinkle some of the cumin salt mixture over it.

After a few minutes, turn the cubes over, sprinkle some cumin mix on and brown the other side for a few minutes. Transfer the browned cubes to the crockpot. Repeat this until all the cubes have been browned.

Add the rest of the cumin mix, the minced garlic and chopped cilantro to the crockpot. Pour the citrus and the pork stock over the top.

Mix it all up. Cover the crockpot, turn it on high, and set a timer for 4 hours.

Now go for a walk in the blizzard.

When you return from your three hour walk, your house should be smelling yummy. That can mean only one thing: it’s time to make the salsa!

Ingredients for the salsa:

1 ripe avocado

2 medium tomatoes

½ to 1 cup chopped cilantro (chopped when prepping the pork)

1 lime

a pinch of salt

1 tbsp. olive oil

You will also need:

flour tortillas

shredded cheese (cheddar, manchego, quesr fresco or monterry jack)

hot sauce – optional

Peel the avocado and slice it in to quarter inch cubes, place in mixing bowl. Slice the tomato in quarter inch cubes as well — add it to the bowl. Add the chopped cilantro, cut the lime in half and squeeze both halves in to the bowl.

Add a pinch of salt, drizzle about 1 tbsp. of olive oil over the top and stir it up. Cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator until the pork is ready.

When the timer goes off, remove the pork cubes from the crockpot with a slotted spoon and place them in a bowl, leaving all the juice in the crock pot. Heat a frying pan on medium high. When it is hot, add some of the pork and fry it until it starts to brown — breaking up the cubes as you stir. Add ½ to ¼ cup of the juice from the crockpot, stir until liquid isn’t visible and remove from heat.

Warm up the tortillas in the microwave for about 15-30 seconds until they are warm enough to bend without breaking. Put some of the pork from the frying pan on a tortilla, then add some cheese (I used cheddar for lack of anything better, but pepper jack, manchego or queso fresco can also be used). Add a couple spoonfuls of the salsa and hot sauce if you desire. Fold the tortilla over, or roll it up like a burrito and enjoy.

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Posted in food/recipes

Tags: burrito, carnitas, crockpot, food, meat, pork, taco