Crock Pot Carnitas

Living deep in the heart of Texas (clap!clap!clap!clap! - sorry, I couldn't resist), Mexican food is a staple. And that is something I sincerely didn't want to lose with our change in diet.

I gave up the rice and beans and even my beloved enchiladas, but there HAD to be some elements of Tex-Mex cooking that we could keep in our lives.

Enter the not-so-humble carnitas! Always one of my favorites, carnitas are great on their own, wrapped up in a large lettuce leaf, or even as the star of a fancy stir fry. A very versatile dish with lots of flavor! SCORE!

Preparing them in the crock pot means I can throw them in first thing in the morning and know that a super, savory dinner will be waiting for me after work. More often though, this is a weekend meal as it feels like such a treat.

Momma G's Crock Pot Carnitas

Stuff You Need:

• 4 lb boneless pork shoulder roast
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp garlic
• ½ tsp cumin
• ½ tsp chipotle chile powder
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp ground coriander
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 2 cups chicken broth
• black pepper and salt to taste
• 1 Tbs coconut oil (or other oil of your choice)

What To Do:

1. Mix together salt, garlic powder, cumin, chile powder, oregano, coriander, cinnamon, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
2. Cut pork roast into 3" - 4" chunks, coat with the spice mixture, and place in the crock pot.
3. Pour the chicken broth around the sides, being careful not to rinse off any of the spice mixture with the broth.
4. Cook on low for 6 or 7 hours or until the pork can be easily shredded with a fork.
5. Before serving, melt coconut oil in a large skillet.
6. Remove shredded meat from the juice and place in the skillet with the coconut oil.
7. Stir until evenly browned and you can see a light crisp on your pork.

I have found this to be a true go-to meal (or meal starter). I make it about twice a month, on average, since there are just so many ways to serve it.

The most common way we eat this family favorite, is as "tacos." For Wonder Dad and I, that usually means lettuce wraps. For Wonder Boy, it's one of his favorite soft taco fillings. Carnitas taste great on salads. They stand up well as the main entree (served with a tomatillo salsa and fried plantains on the side). And Wonder Dad and I both really love carnitas as the starting point for a nice spicy stir fry.

Between being so easy to make and being so versatile, this dish is one of my top go-to meals!