Simple Slow Cooker Carnitas

I {heart} my Slow Cooker. I think it's probably the best appliance ever created. I use it at least twice a week, sometimes more. I tried a new recipe this week for Slow Cooker Carnitas, and man were they good! The recipe I used is actually a stove-top recipe, but I threw it all in my slow cooker. It calls for Pork Shoulder, but I don't like the darker meat with all the fat, so I used a Pork Loin Roast. The meat came out super tender and full of flavor. And the smell I was greeted with when I walked through the door at 6:00 ~ heavenly!!

So, here you go. Let me know if you try it. I will definitely be making this again.

Simple Slow Cooker Carnitas

Ingredients:

1 1/2 -2 pound Pork Loin Roast, trimmed and cut into large chunks

2 Oranges, quartered (I used 4 Clementines)

1-2 Tbls Chopped Garlic

1/2 onion, quartered

2 tsp Oregeno

2 tsp Cumin

Salt & Pepper to taste

Water to cover

Place oranges and onion on the bottom of the slow cooker. Add the meat, and season with spices on both sides. Add water, pouring carefully around the edges, so as not to rinse the meat. Cook on low heat for six hours.

This is what it looked like when I came home. Don't you wish your monitor was scratch & sniff?

Take the meat out of the water, and shred with a fork. It shredded so easy!

This step is optional: Heat some oil in a large frying pan and fry the meat. Season with salt if needed. This helps to give a nice crispy texture. I would probably do this in two sessions, as all of the meat in the pan was a bit much.

Spoon into taco shells, or flour tortillas, and garnish with your favorite toppings. Serve with beans and rice, or as a topping for taco salad.

Next time I think I'll buy a larger roast, and use half of the meat for Pulled pork sandwiches. Yum!

Linking up to:

Crockpot Wednesday

Foodie Friday

What's Cookin' Wednesday