Oh my heavens is there anything better than slow cooked meat that is then broiled under high heat to caramelize the tips? I think not!!!! A few weeks ago, one of my friends instagrammed a picture of her plate of food at Red Iguana and on that plate was the most delicious looking stack of meat I think I’ve ever seen… my mouth literally started drooling and I wanted it immediately. When I asked her what it was, she told me that it was Pork Carnitas, so of course I had to start researching.
Pork Carnitas are a Mexican seasoned shredded or pulled pork that are usually cooked in some kind of fruit juice and always finished off either under a broiler or in a frying pan to give a nice, crispy crust to them. I tried a lot of different fruit juices, but I absolutely loved the combination of mango and peach. However, you can use all mango, all peach, or even pineapple or orange juice for very yummy pork carnitas.
The combination of spices and juice that I’m sharing today is the the perfect combination of melt in your mouth with a crispy sweetness. Pure heaven. I actually like to serve my carnitas really simply and let the meat shine – A tortilla, some rice, the meat, then some chopped onion, cilantro and a squeeze of lime. You are going to love these!
Ingredients:
- 1 tsp chipotle chili powder
- 1 Tbsp cumin
- 1/2 Tbsp onion powder
- 1/2 Tbsp garlic salt
- 1/2 Tbsp oregano
- 3-4 pounds boneless pork, (I have used loin, shoulder/butt and even boneless ribs)
- 11-12 oz can mango nectar
- 11-12 oz can peach nectar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
Instructions:
- Mix together the chipotle chili powder, cumin, onion powder, garlic salt, and oregano.
- Rub the spice mixture all over the boneless pork.
- Place the pork in the slow cooker.
- Pour both cans of nectar around the meat.
- Sprinkle the brown sugar into the nectar.
- Cook on high for 5-6 hours or low 7-8 hours until the meat just falls apart.
- Shred the pork in the juices, then using tongs, place the pork on a large foil lined cookie sheet, (don’t pour out the juices on to the cookie sheet.)
- Brush the meat with some of the juices from the slow cooker and then broil on high till you reach your desired crispiness. (You can take the sheet pan out of the oven, toss the pork about a bit with the tongs, then put it under again for maximum crispiness.)
- Serve with extra juice on the side to drizzle over the meat if you want! (Or you can throw the meat back in to the juice to keep it moist.)
Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas
Ingredients
- 1 tsp chipotle chili powder
- 1 Tbsp cumin
- 1/2 Tbsp onion powder
- 1/2 Tbsp garlic salt
- 1/2 Tbsp oregano
- 3-4 pounds boneless pork (I have used loin, shoulder/butt and even boneless ribs)
- 11-12 oz can mango nectar
- 11-12 oz can peach nectar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
Instructions
- Mix together the chipotle chili powder, cumin, onion powder, garlic salt, and oregano.
- Rub the spice mixture all over the boneless pork.
- Place the pork in the slow cooker.
- Pour both cans of nectar around the meat.
- Sprinkle the brown sugar into the nectar.
- Cook on high for 5-6 hours or low 7-8 hours until the meat just falls apart.
- Shred the pork in the juices, then using tongs, place the pork on a large foil lined cookie sheet, (don’t pour out the juices on to the cookie sheet.)
- Brush the meat with some of the juices from the slow cooker and then broil on high till you reach your desired crispiness. (You can take the sheet pan out of the oven, toss the pork about a bit with the tongs, then put it under again for maximum crispiness.)
- Serve with the remaining juice on the side to drizzle over the meat if desired. (Or you can throw the meat back in to the juice to keep it moist.)
0 Comments