Quick, easy, and intensely flavorful carnitas made right in the slow cooker. Perfectly tender, shreddable pork will be on your plate and in your belly with only 10 minutes of prep!
1TablespoonFamous Dave's Rib Rubor seasonings of choice
2teaspoonsground cumin
saltto taste
black pepperto taste
1cupchopped onion
1/2cupchopped jalapenoseeds removed
1orangepeeled and segmented
3/4cuporange juice
Instructions
Season meat with salt, pepper, cumin, and rib rub as desired.
Place roast, fat side up, in crock.
Add onions, jalapeño, and orange segments, leaving some on top of the roast. Add orange juice.
Cover crock and slow cook on low for 10 hours (or on high for 7 hours).
When done, spoon excess fat from the top then shred the pork.
Notes
We found that pork shoulder butt came in very large portions, the smallest one we found was 7 pounds with most being around 10 pounds. Therefore we used a shoulder roast instead. You can use pork shoulder or pork butt, but try and stick to 3-4 pounds as anything larger will have a different cook time.
You can season your pork however you wish. We like to rub it with Famous Dave's Rib Rub with a little extra salt and pepper for good measure.
Bathing the pork in orange juice amplifies the tender-juicy outcome. It simply helps break down the meat as it cooks while adding a pop of fresh citrus flavor.
To crisp the shredded pork, add it to a large skillet over medium heat with a small amount of the juices from the crockpot. Brown the meat on both sides until crispy.
STORING - Store any leftover cooled meat in an air-tight container kept in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Save the slow cooker juices in a separate ziptop bag or air-tight container to help re-moisten the pork when you reheat!
FREEZING - Add the cooled shredded pork to a large ziptop bag or air-tight container and freeze for up to 3 months. I would recommend drizzling some of the juices in with the meat before freezing. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat in the microwave or over medium-low heat on the stovetop.