Crock potMexican
Crock-pot carnitas
Shoulder, orange, cumin, then a hard broil. The crock renders; the broiler makes it carnitas.
Made it?
8 hr · 25 min hands-on · pull 203°F · rest 10 min
Ingredients
8 lb on the fire · ~4 lb to the table · 8 plates at 8 oz
- boneless pork shoulder, large chunks8 lb
- kosher salt1 tbsp
- cumin2 tsp
- oregano1 tsp
- black pepper1 tsp
- orange, juiced (peel in the pot)1
- onion, quartered1
- garlic cloves4
- jalapeño, split (optional)1
Method
- 1
Chunks in with salt, cumin, oregano, pepper. Orange juice and peel, onion, garlic, jalapeño. No extra stock — the pork will make it.
- 2
Low 8 hours until it shreds. Fish out the peel and onion.
- 3
Spread on a sheet with a ladle of fat. Broil 4–6 minutes until the edges go brown and sticky. Toss with a spoon of juice.
If you don’t have it
- Shoulder chunks → A whole boneless butt. Same clock. Cube after if you forgot.
- Orange → A mix of orange and lime. Lime is brighter. Keep some fat in the pot.
Same cook, different day
Skillet crisp
No broiler. Cast iron, a spoon of the fat, do not stir for 2 minutes.
Taco night
The point of this cook. Corn tortillas, onion, cilantro, salsa verde. Not a flour brick of cheese.
On the plate
With this, try
- With this dish, try making pinto beans.
Start when a packer wraps, or at the beginning of a shoulder. Soaked beans, smoked hock, onion, chili. Simmer until creamy. Salt late.
2 hr 30 min
- With this dish, try making vinegar slaw.
Anytime. Better after an hour in the fridge. Cabbage, carrot, cider vinegar, a pinch of sugar, salt, pepper. No mayo if the meat is already rich.
20 min
- With this dish, try making pot liquor collards.
On with a shoulder or a ham. They want time, not a grate. Strip the stems, simmer with a hock until the leaves give and the pot liquor is the sauce.
1 hr 30 min
Same cut
Pork shoulder
Pull it, crisp it, bowl it.