Crockpot Carnitas

I think I'm on a Mexican food kick. So grab your crockpots, and the standard carnitas burrito condiments (I say standard, but that may be what my standard is, LOL): pico de gallo, guacamole, sour cream, flour tortillas, cheese, rice (flavored with cilantro), and pinto beans.

I attempted to make my flour tortillas from scratch. They turned out not exactly round, but delicious, however, I recommend doing these only if you have the time to spare and are ready to do some kneeding and some rolling - it's hard work! I followed the recipe for those homemade tortillas via this link. Also, I found that I really didn't need to leave it in the pan for very long at all, the longer you leave it the harder/crispier it gets, which makes it rather difficult to fold. I pulled it off quickly, and it didn't brown in spots like it should have, but it still turned out good - not doughy, not crispy, but pliable and soft.


To make your carnitas:

2-3 Lbs Pork shoulder or loin (I used country style loin cuts, which are rectangular cuts about 1 1/2" deep, but they have bones, so kind of a hassle being sure to remove them)
1 Tbsp Sea salt or rock/kosher salt
2 Tbsp Oil
Water (enough to almost cover the pork)
1 Tsp Chili powder
1 Tsp Paprika
2 Bay leaves
1/4 Tsp Cumin
3 Garlic cloves, minced
1 Onion, chopped
Pepper
About 1-2" strip of an orange and a lime rind + juice from 1 slice of lime
1 Tsp Onion powder

Place pork in crockpot and add all other ingredients on top. Push the rinds and the bayleaves toward the bottom. Allow to cook undisturbed for 4-6 hours on high, or 6-8 hours on low. When tender enough that it starts to fall apart when stuck with a fork, remove from crockpot to shred with a fork (remove any bones, the rinds, and bayleaves at this time as well). Place back in the crockpot for about 5-10 minutes. When ready to serve, remove with a slotted spoon.


Of course, I did forget to take a pic of the compiled burrito again! *facepalm*