One food that’s considered good luck to eat on New Year’s Day is pork. It’s said that eating pork brings good luck and progress (mainly because pigs are known to root forward). Who couldn’t use a little extra good luck? With that in mind, Tess and I decided to wake up early on New Years Day, make a latte, and grab the slow cooker.
With the new Antoni Porowski cookbook Let’s Do Dinner at the ready, we set to work. His recipe for pork carnitas features lots of fresh citrus and aromatic seasonings. The prep was very straightforward. We simply zested and juiced the fruit, and combined the seasoning to make a savory rub for the pork. The kitchen was instantly alive with the scents of oranges, limes and spice. After applying the rub to the meat, we simply placed it in a bath of the fresh citrus and adobo chilies. The slow cooker took over from there!
With the help of the slow cooker, we enjoyed a quiet day, and a house filled with the heady aromas of braising pork shoulder. Next, we easily shredded the tender meat. Then, all you need are a stack of warm corn tortillas, juicy limes, a heap of cilantro, and hot sauce. Once we dug in, the added benefit of “good luck” became a happy afterthought.
Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas
Ingredients
- 6 navel oranges
- 4 large limes
- 1 (4-4 1/2 pound) boneless pork shoulder
- 2 tablespoons dried oregano
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 large garlic cloves, grated or minced
For serving
- warm corn tortilla, thinly sliced radishes and/or shredded cabbage, chopped red or white onion, chopped fresh cilantro, lime wedges, and/or hot sauce
Instructions
- Grate the zest from 1 orange and 1 lime. Halve and juice enough of each fruit to yield 1 1/2 cups orange juicer and 1/2 cup lime juice.
- With the tip of a paring knife, make about 25 X-shaped slits, each about 1/3 inch deep, all over the pork. Combine the citrus zests, oregano, chili powder, cumin, cinnamon, garlic, and 2 tablespoons salt in a bowl and work the ingredients together to make a paste. Rub the spice paste all over the pork and into the slits.
- Place the pork, bay leaves, and chipotles and adobo sauce in a slow cooker. Add the citrus juices and stir to combine. Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours or on high for 5-7 hours.*We cooked our for 6 hours on high and the meat came out perfect.
- Transfer the pork to a cutting board, leaving the juices in the cooker, and let rest for 10 minutes, then shred the meat and place it in a bowl.
- Season the pork with a splash or two of the cooking juices and salt to taste. Serve with any or all of the suggested accompaniments.