SLOW COOKER MEXICAN PORK CARNITAS

Slow Cooker Mexican Pork Carnitas image

This is a shredded spin on carnitas. In Spanish, carnitas means "little meats." The traditional Mexican dish is typically made from pork, but can also be made from beef. This is a slow-cooked version of the otherwise braised or slow-roasted techniques. Once shredded, the meat is often served with cilantro, onion, salsa, guacamole, refried beans, and tortillas. Serve over cabbage slaw in a soft tortilla.

Provided by clifford

Categories World Cuisine Recipes Latin American Mexican

Time 6h25m

Yield 8

Number Of Ingredients 15

Ingredients

1 (32 fluid ounce) container chicken stock
1 (3 pound) pork loin, or more to taste
3 tablespoons adobo seasoning
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon ground paprika
1 large white onion, diced
2 tablespoons chipotle paste
2 bay leaves
1 (14 ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 limes, halved
3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup fresh cilantro

Steps:

Turn a large slow cooker to High. Pour chicken stock into the cooker and place pork loin in the center. Season pork with adobo, cumin, pepper, and paprika. Place onion, chipotle paste, and bay leaves in the stock around the pork. Place tomatoes and garlic on top of the pork, and squeeze limes directly over top, allowing pulp to fall into the slow cooker. Sprinkle with cinnamon and cloves.
Use a spoon to baste stock over the pork loin, then sprinkle entire surface evenly with cilantro.
Cover and cook on High until pork is slightly pink in the center, about 6 hours. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 145 degrees F (63 degrees C). Use a fork to shred pork.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 266.2 calories, Carbohydrate 12.1 g, Cholesterol 82.2 mg, Fat 11 g, Fiber 4.5 g, Protein 31 g, SaturatedFat 3.8 g, Sodium 607.9 mg, Sugar 1.6 g