Pork Carnitas

RecipeTin

I made this before we left camping, then reheated it when we were gona eat it.

Pork Carnitas (Mexican Slow Cooker Pulled Pork)

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

6 hr

Total Time

6 hr 15 mins

 

{Recipe video below, scale recipe using Servings slider} Pan frying to get the golden brown crunchy bits after the pork is cooked and shredded is not optional! Broiling/grilling will not produce the same results as it dries it out and defeats the purpose of wonderfully moist slow cooked pork. My other "must do" step is to pour the juices in the slow cooker over the pulled pork - this adds so much flavour and makes it even juicier! This makes a lot of pulled pork - enough for 10 to 12 servings. Use the pork for tacos, nachos, enchiladas, burritos, quesadillas - the possibilities are endless!

Course: Slow cooking

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings: 10 - 12

Author: Nagi | RecipeTin Eats

Ingredients

• 5 lb / 2.5 kg pork shoulder (pork butt), skinless, bone-in (4lb/2kg without bone) (Note 3)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 jalapeno, deseeded, chopped
• 2 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 oranges, juice only (or sub with 3/4 cup fresh orange juice)

Rub

• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

1. Rinse and dry the pork shoulder, rub in salt and pepper.
2. Combine the rub ingredients then rub all over the pork.
3. Place the pork in a slow cooker (fat cap up), top with the onion, jalapeño, minced garlic (don't worry about spreading it) and squeeze over the juice of the orange.
4. Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or on high for 6 hours (or 1h 30 m in an electric pressure cooker on high. If using stovetop pressure cooker, please see notes).
5. The meat should be tender and falling off the bone. Remove from the slow cooker and let cool slightly. Then shred the pork using two forks.
6. Skim off the fat from the juices remaining in the slow cooker and discard the fat. Then if you are left with a lot more than 1 1/2 to 2 cups of juice, then reduce it (either in the slow cooker on the sauté setting with the lid off, or in a saucepan). The liquid will be SALTY, it is the seasoning for the pork. Set aside.

To Serve

1. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a large non stick pan over high heat. Place shredded pork into the pan, drizzle over some juices. Wait until the juices evaporate and the bottom side is golden brown and crusty. Turn and just briefly sear the other side - you don't want to make it brown all over because then it's too crispy, need tender juicy bits.
2. Repeat in batches (takes me 4 batches) - don't crowd the pan.
3. Remove pork from skillet. Drizzle over more juices and serve immediately (if you are using defrosted carnitas, this is not applicable as the juices are already on the meat - see Note 4c).
4. If you are reheating the carnitas (Note 4), then flip and cook the other side briefly just to warm through. I really recommend only making one side crusty and leaving the other side juicy and moist.

Recipe Notes

1. If you are using a piece of pork that is not the size I use, you MUST reduce the salt accordingly. If your pork is more than 1 lb / 0.5 kg larger or smaller than the prescribed size, ensure you adjust the other ingredients accordingly as well, not just the salt. 

2. To make this in the oven, add 1 cup of water to the braising liquid. Place in 325F/160C oven for 2 hours, covered, then roast for a further 1 to 1.5 hours uncovered. Add more water if the liquid dries out too much. You should end up with 1 1/2 to 2 cups of liquid when it finishes cooking.

If you make this recipe in the oven, you could skip the pan frying step because you will get a nice brown crust on your pork.

3. Use pork with the skin removed but leaving some of the fat cap on. The fat adds juiciness to the carnitas!

4. Taco Fixing suggestions: Diced avocado or make a real proper Guacamole, Pico de Gallo or Restaurant Style Salsa or even just sliced tomato, grated cheese, sour cream. Sliced lettuce or pickled cabbage / red onions would also be great, but unlike other tacos, you don't need it for the texture because the carnitas have the crispy bits!

5. MAKE AHEAD: 
a) For overnight or up to 3 days, the best option is to shred the meat without pan frying, keep the juices separate, refrigerate, then pan fry to make it golden and reheat the meat, pouring juices over while it is browning per recipe.

b) To brown the meat ahead, the meat actually holds up pretty well in terms of staying crispy. It's even pretty good refrigerated overnight - but a) is definitely better. Keep the juices separate and pour it over just before reheating the pork. You can reheat in the microwave, quickly reheat in the pan or if you have loads, in a foil covered roasting pan in the oven at 180C/350F for around 8 - 10 minutes.

c) To FREEZE: This holds up great in the freezer. Pour the juices over the pulled pork (pre browning) and store in ziplock bags or airtight containers. Freeze in small batches for convenience. To use, defrost completely before following the recipe to brown the pork.

6. STOVETOP PRESSURE COOKER - use a rack to elevate it from the base OR add 3/4 cup of water. Then once the pork is cooked, remove it then simmer to reduce to around 2 cups of liquid.

Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas recipe video! NOTE: My Slow Cooker (Breville Fast-Slow Cooker) is multi-functional and is also a pressure cooker, hence why it looks like a pressure cooker with the twisting top. The slow cooking function is no different to any standard slow cooker.

Camping

Prepare as much as you can before camping-
-cooked chicken at home before hand  and left in 1c at least of the liquid to keep it moist, then froze it and added it to the chicken curry and quesadillas
-every day it seemed we needed to empty the cooler of the melted ice. Every 2 days we needed to buy new ice to keep the food cold
- we used a two burner camping stove and I had three different pans- one a medium size pan for boiling water (and for a bowl to mix pancake mix), a griddle to cook pancakes & bacon, and a frying pan
- Shred cheese before you leave (quesadillas, pizza, tortilla pizza, canned chili, egg mcmuffins)
- i loved having a whole head of lettuce to randomly eat whenever, it stayed crisp, I was impressed
- put all the items you are using in the cooler, in individual good quality ziplock bags, To keep the melted ice away from the food items and to keep some sort of organization to the mess.


1.  We made japanese chicken curry(it comes in a small box), with celery, carrots, onions-
2.  Tuna Sandwiches with lettuce
3.  Frozen green smoothies- only lasts about 2 days, so you got drink it all up in the first 2 days
4.  Boiled water for hot chocolate and oatmeal- added ground flax, raisins
5. Made pancakes and bacon, added ground flax (break a few eggs in a ziplock bag, then you don't have to worry about the eggs breaking.
6. Camping quesadillas- use the same cooked chicken and shredded cheese (Chloe made)
7. pizza- store bought baked dough, pepperoni, mozzarella, canned spaghetti sauce (Lily made)
8. canned soup - we take the lid off the can and put the can in the fire and it heats up quick
9. sausages/hotdogs over the fire (Katie made)
10. Logan made from the left over pizza ingredients tortilla pizzas that were much more successful than the original pizza that I made. I bought 2 bags of tortillas b/c sometime we like to use those instead of bread with peanut butter & jelly
11. canned chili- we take the lid off the can and put the can in the fire and it heats up quick. Add fritos, chopped tomatoes, shredded cheese.
12. peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
13. cereal with milk for breakfast
14. egg mcmuffins- egg, sliced meat, cheese, bread, plain, bagels or english muffins. I'd love an avocado on it too.
15. sliced lunch meat for sandwiches and on egg mcmuffins

Snacks
-2 bags of bread
- trail mix (almonds, peanuts, cashews, raisins, cranberries)
-beef jerky
-7 to 10 apples
- 10 oranges
-3lbs carrots
-1 head of celery
- cheese sticks

- head of lettuce

Paper Mache

Paper Mache

To make one small project.

1c flour

2 c cold water (hot water makes lumps happen easier)

Thin strips of many newspaper.

Instructions

It is so messy. We went outside on our deck to  apply it. We tried to hang the pinatas from the iron railing.  NExt time Wrap the outside of the pinata with many rounds of string, yarn, or ribbon to make it stable and then apply all the newspaper.
To make this paste, simply mix together one part flour to two parts water. Pour the flour and water in a large bowl and stir it well until it's thin.

It should be kind of like the consistency of pancake batter. Keep mixing until there are very few lumps left. Use a whisk to remove the lumps. I used a whisk and it worked out just fine, no need for a blender.

This concoction dries quickly.  So make it only when you will use it, don't make it 10min before your ready to apply it. Start using it right when it is made.  It hardens in the bowl quickly.

IDEAS-

Katie wanted to make a painters palate- started with 2 flat cut outs of cardboard first. Then filled the middle with balloons to give the 3D effect

Lile wanted to make a 3D heart for katie for her birthday, Did the same with cardboard

Chloe wanted a tea pot, then a #5,  a bird and then lastly a parrot. I thought the little bird was the best/easiest idea. A regular sized ballon for the belly of the bird then a small balloon for its head. Then cardboard to make a beak and a tail.