Hola everyone! Slow cooked authentic Mexican pork carnitas is what I am making today. The smell is filling my house and I am getting HUNGRY. I said to myself “I am going through all this trouble, why not blog about it, right?” There is nothing like killing two birds with one stone.
While the smell of carnitas fills my kitchen I am trying to find carnita’s culinary equivalent. Those who know me well know that I am always tying to find food parallels, a culinary kin. So, here I go, authentic Mexican pork carnitas are really the first cousin to pulled pork, a US favorite. Its Latin American/Caribbean counterpart is definitely pernil.
Authentic Mexican pork carnitas can also be Cuban ropa vieja’s second cousin. Now, in Mexico, there is another close relative to the authentic Mexican pork carnitas called “cochinita pibil“, a dish of Mayan origin cooked with achiote paste and herbs. The traditional way of cooking this dish is by seasoning the pig and burying it in the ground. I don’t think I’ll be doing something similar any time soon, what will the neighbors say?
I read that authentic Mexican pork carnitas are traditionally cooked in a copper pot because copper distributes the heat evenly. Who would have thought? Don’t worry, I don’t have one. I actually like to use my slow cooker because I get to enjoy the beautiful aromas that slowly fill every corner of my kitchen.
After the carnitas are nice and cooked, I shred them with two forks, and then lay them out on a baking sheet, and broil for 5 minutes or so. They get a nice golden look on top, not to mention a yummy crispiness.
Now, you would expect that something that tastes this good has to have a secret ingredient, or lots of ingredients. Actually, authentic Mexican pork carnitas is such a humble dish that you probably have everything you need in your fridge and pantry. I also like to use my very own chili powder blend.
Carnitas are so versatile because you can use them for tacos, tostadas, burritos, tamales, and even nachos. Wow! Tonight we’re enjoying carnitas with tortilla shells, and all the fixings.
Before I run, don’t forget to share this recipe with your friends and family. If you have time leave me a comment, or tweet it! Spread the blog love! Gracias!
Authentic Mexican Pork Carnitas
Slow cooker tender and delicious with a nice crispy finish! You will love these authentic Mexican pork carnitas! Super easy to make in the slow cooker and then crisp up in the oven.
Ingredients
- 6 lb pork shoulder or butt
- 1 onion medium, sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp oregano dried
- 2 tsp cumin ground
- 1/4 tsp black pepper ground
- 2 tsp Kosher salt
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon ground
- 2 limes sliced sliced
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- In a small bowl place oregano, cumin, black pepper, salt, chili powder,and cinnamon, then mix thoroughly.
- Put the pork shoulder in the slow cooker and add the onion, garlic, limes, bay leaves, water and spice mixture.
- Cover and cook for 6 hours on high.
- Heat oven on broiler
- Move meat to a large cutting board and using two forks begin the shred the meat.
- Place the meat in a single layer on a baking dish, and broil for about 5 minutes.
Serve with flour or corn tortillas, lettuce, tomato, sour cream and hot sauce.
I love carnitas!! I’d love to have you share them on the Taco Tuesday blog hop!
http://www.lazygastronome.com/taco-tuesday-blog-hop-1/
Helen, I am glad you like carnitas. I can certainly share them.
Your carnitas look amazing! I love that they are a crock pot recipe, and I can’t wait to make them! Thanks so much for sharing them on Celebrate It!
Thanks Teri! It is a favorite at home. Thanks for commenting.
I’m in the middle of making these and I’m wondering what to do with the water, bay leaves and limes? The recipe doesn’t say what to do with them. Do they go in the crockpot too?
Sorry, in the haste to put out the post I neglected to mention that yes, the water, bay leaves and limes go in the crock pot. My apologies.
Thanks, I decided to do that anyways. Excited to try it! Thank you!
This looks delicious! I’m going to make this tomorrow night! What kind of sauce did you put on top of the tacos?
Also, where did you buy the pork shoulder? Are there any alternatives?
I bought it at the grocery store. Pork shoulder is the same as pork butt if this helps. I have never used a substitute. Hope this helps.
I just put some sour cream in a plastic bag and squeezed some out. When I ate them I used hot sauce.
I will be pinning this recipe, these Carnitas will be a big hit here at the cottage. Thanks so much for sharing your awesome post with us at Full Plate Thursday. Hope you are having a great day and come back soon!
Miz Helen
Thank you for pinning Miz Helen. I hope you are having a great day too, and hope your family likes the carnitas.
I love that you make this recipe in the slow cooker! Your Pork Carnitas look delicious. Your chilli powder blend sounds wonderful too. Scheduled to pin and tweeted. Thank you for sharing with us at Hearth and Soul. I hope you will visit again this week!
Thanks again April. Yes, the slow cooker is the way to go for carnitas. Glad I could share with you guys. Try making the chili powder blend, it’s so good. Have a great day!
Ooooh, I have some serious love for carnitas! I just ate dinner but looking at these just made me hungry again.
LOL!!! I was thinking about making these again. 🙂
Carnitas is my favorite! This recipe looks so good! I can’t wait to try it!
Thanks Elaine. I think you will like it.
This is one of my favorite dishes – yours look fantastic!
Thanks Ashley!
I started making carnitas awhile back in my Dutch oven, which I absolutely love, though I’ve always been intrigued by the slow cooker option, too! I’m just not sure I would have enough patience to broil them to get the crispy bits before devouring the meat, ha! This looks fantastic, I can’t wait to try your spice blend. 🙂
Thanks Monica! Yes, check out the spice blend, it is so easy to make.
I am making your receipe right now and I can hardly wait till it gets done. I wasn’t looking forward to making it in the oven so the slow cooker is a major plus. I’ll post my results tomorrow.
Judy, that’s great. Let me know how it turns out.
Hello, I am making this as I write. I realized however this recipe did not call for browning in a pan prior to placing in a crock pot. Beyond providing color, a lot of crock pot recipes call for this, and I assume it is to compensate for the very slow cooking speed in a crock pot. Will this really be cooked through in 6 hours?
Thank you,
Katrina
Hello, I am making this as I write. I realized however this recipe did not call for browning in a pan prior to placing in a crock pot. Beyond providing color, a lot of crock pot recipes call for this, and I assume it is to compensate for the very slow cooking speed in a crock pot. Will this really be cooked through in 6 hours?
Thank you,
Katrina
Carnitas are my favorite and this slow cooker recipe is great! My family loved it! Thanks so much!
Carol, you are so welcome. I am so glad your family enjoyed it. It is a favorite at our house.