Amazingly simple and
delicious dinners like these pork carnitas restore faith in my
ability to actually get dinner on the table during this hectic time
of year without pulling my hair out or saying bad words.
School has started in
our area and combined with sport schedules, scout schedules, work
schedules, nap schedules (I wish it were mine!), and every schedule
in between, dinner time begins to feel like an impossible reality.
Some nights need a
super
quick 20- or 30-minute meal. Done and done. But other
evenings call for a dinner with very minimal prep the minutes before
eating (we’re talking run in the door and have 5 or 10 minutes
max). That’s where this meal is perfection.
The work (if you can
call throwing everything in a slow cooker work) is done hours before
dinner and the pork simmers in the delicious flavors all day long,
freeing you up for more important things like pursuing that nap
schedule (ha!).
When dinner time rolls
around, the pork is removed, shredded and if you have a few extra
minutes, crisped and browned on the edges under the broiler (note:
I’ve made this several times without browning and it’s
equally yummy). Pull out some tortillas, simple toppings and you have
dinner.
Don’t even get me
started on how versatile this pork is. Cooked and cooled, it freezes
beautifully. And while the flavors lend themselves wonderfully well
to tortillas + toppings, I’ve made enchiladas out of the
leftover pork, tossed some of the defrosted pork with BBQ sauce for
sandwiches, and used the tender meat for quick quesadillas, tacos,
and even pizza.
The flavors are
astounding. Fresh and citrusy and smoky and seriously yummy. We love
this one; a keeper for sure.
To get those long
strips of zest from the orange and lime, use a sharp paring knife to
cut away the top layer of peel from the fruit — trying not to
get too much of the white, pithy skin underneath since it can be
bitter. Just do your best — it doesn't have to be perfectly
rectangular 2-inch strips. Mine usually come off more in squares and
large ovals.
The reason you don't
want to just zest the orange and lime is because the pieces of zest
are removed at the end of cooking before serving (otherwise the pork
mixture can develop a bitter or overpowering citrus flavor).
The leftover cooked and
cooled pork freezes great for future meals.
Ingredients
3-4 pounds boneless pork butt roast, trimmed of excess fat and cut into large chunks
1 white or yellow onion, peeled and quartered
3 (2-inch) strips orange zest (see note above)
1/3-1/2 cup orange juice
3 (2-inch) strips lime zest (see note above)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
5 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
2 bay leaves
Directions
Place the pork in the bottom of a
4- or 5-quart slow cooker. Add the onion, orange zest, orange juice,
lime zest, lime juice, garlic, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper and bay
leaves. Turn the pork pieces a bit so the spices are evenly
distributed.
Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10
hours (or high for 5 to 7 hours).
Using a slotted spoon, remove the
pork from the slow cooker to a 9X13-inch or similar-sized oven-safe
pan. Use two forks to shred the pork.
Pour everything (solids and
liquid) from the slow cooker into a strainer set over a bowl to
catch the liquid. Discard the solids and reserve the liquid.
To crisp the edges of the pork
(this is optional but delicious), preheat the broiler to high and
position an oven rack about 6-8 inches away from the heating
element. Pour about 1 cup of the reserved liquid over the pork in
the pan. Broil the pork (watching closely!) for a couple minutes
until it is brown and crispy in spots. Give the pork a good
stir/turn and broil again until some of the edges crisp up a bit.
You still want the pork to be nice and tender so don't overcook it
here — and keep an eye on it as a broiler can take food from
beautifully browned to burned in seconds.
Season the pork with salt and
pepper to taste and transfer to a serving plate or platter, if
desired. Use additional liquid from the slow cooker to moisten the
pork as needed. Serve with lime wedges, tortillas, fresh cilantro
and other toppings of your choice.
Recipe Source: adapted slightly from Cook’s Country
August/Sept 2015 (after my cousin, Mel, sent me a
similar recipe alerting me to its deliciousness — thanks, Mel!)
Melanie Gunnell is a food-loving, chocolate-obsessed mom who has a desperate need to share
her favorite tried-and-true recipes with the world. In a past life she graduated from Brigham
Young University with a degree in public health, but for the past ten years, stay-at-home
motherhood has been her job along with blogging-from-home for the past five.
She resides in the brilliantly cold tundra of Northern Minnesota with her husband and their brood
of five children: four boys and one tiny, bossy girl. Dark chocolate (particularly the act of
shoving chocolate chips in her mouth whilst hiding in the pantry) is her coping skill of choice for
both the never-ending winters and the never-ending wrestling matches in her front room.