Carnitas

Slow cooked pork shoulder then pan fried with brown sugar for some crispy texture

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword carnitas, pork

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 10

Total Time 10 10

Servings

Calories 353kcal

Pat the cut of pork dry on both sides and generously season with salt and pepper.
Make a rub from one tablespoon of oil, the oregano, cumin and any other spices you like with pork. Rub all over the meat. Place this in your slow cooker, which I tend to call a crockpot.
Roughly chop the onion and jalapeño, removing the inside veins and seeds. Add this over the top of the meat. Mince the garlic cloves and toss this in as well. Now juice all three limes and add this to the slow cooker as well.
Cook on low for 10 hours.
Remove the meat from the slow cooker liquid, brushing off any large onion or jalapeño pieces as you do. Shred the meat with forks into small pieces, removing the bone if you used a bone-in cut.
In a large cast iron skillet or nonstick pan, heat a couple teaspoons of oil or lard over medium-high heat. Add the meat to the pan and sprinkle the brown sugar over the top.
Cook for a few minutes, so you get those crispy edges and then flip. Cook another few minutes to get more crispy pieces and remove to a plate.

- Pork shoulder also called pork butt or Boston butt as well as picnic roast or picnic shoulder. I used a bone-in pork shoulder here, but it doesn't have to contain a bone.

- If you want to swap some of the lime juice for oranges/orange juice, feel free. Orange goes well with pork or beef when cooking.

- Browning the carnitas in a skillet after they have already been slow cooked is optional, but I think worth it! This is also a great way to rewarm leftovers.

- Save any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for at least 3 days. Rewarm on the stovetop or in the microwave.