Use this crockpot pork carnitas to make carnitas lettuce wraps or carnitas tacos.
Orange: The orange juice adds a bright note. Lime: Adds a zesty tang. Onion: Contributes depth of flavor as it cooks down. Garlic: Infuses the pork with savory depth. Tomato paste: For umami richness. Water: The liquid component to keep the pork tender Spices: Cumin, chili powder, oregano, and sea salt add warm and herbaceous notes. Pork: Use pork butt, pork shoulder, or boneless pork ribs as the meaty base of the dish.
What cut of pork to use for crockpot pork carnitas
This recipe calls for pork shoulder, which is also referred to as pork butt or boston butt. Despite the name referencing the rear, it’s actually from the upper part of the pig’s front shoulder. This cut of pork has a marbling of fat which results in tender and flavorful carnitas. You can find bone-in or boneless. While the bone-in variety is favored by some as it adds extra flavor, boneless is more convenient to shred the meat after cooking and fits easier into a slow cooker.One commonly asked question is if you can use pork loin or pork tenderloin instead, as these cuts of pork are leaner. However, the lower fat content results in less juicy carnitas that dry out easily. If you’re craving pork tenderloin, make this baked pork tenderloin or these pork medallions instead.
Carnitas tacos: Put your pulled pork on flour or corn tortillas with your favorite toppings, like cilantro, easy guacamole, cheese, or pico de gallo. Burrito: Wrap your crockpot pulled pork up with mexican rice, guacamole, cilantro, salsa, black beans, and cheese. Carnitas sandwich: Place your crockpot pork on a sandwich with slaw. Nachos: Load up some nachos with pork, cheese, jalapeños, and more cheese! Carnitas lettuce wraps: Wrap into lettuce with guacamole, and red onions. Mac and cheese: Stir some delicious pulled pork through some mac and cheese for a savory twist on this satisfying classic. Pizza: Top a pizza off with some pulled pork, bbq sauce, peppers, cheese, and other favorite pizza toppings. Chili: Incorporate into pulled pork chili for an extra layer of heartiness. With sides: Serve alongside some crispy roasted potatoes and round the meal out with some veggies to boost the nutrition. Try this Mexican cucumber salad, Mexican pasta salad, roasted broccoli salad, or some honey roasted carrots.
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