Pork Carnitas

Ingredients

Boneless pork butt (capicola), approx 6 pounds

8oz can tomato sauce

Juice of 2 limes

¾ cup orange juice

½ bottle of beer

¼ cup salsa 

2 tablespoons coarse salt

1 tablespoon cumin

1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon dried oregano

5 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper or to taste

8 whole cloves garlic smashed

4 chipotle peppers canned or dried, roughly chopped

 

How to:

1. Trim any excess fat on the exterior of the pork butt and then place it in the crock pot.
   
   
2. In a medium size bowl or 4-cup measuring cup, mix the next 13 ingredients together and then pour over the pork butt in the slow cooker. Cook on low for 8 - 10 hours. Or if you get a late start, cook on high for a couple of hours, then low for another 4 or 5. The pork is ready when you can put a fork in it and it feels like it will fall apart.
   
   
3. Remove the pork from the crock pot and place it on a large cutting board to cool. When cool enough to handle, shred it with two forks, removing any large chunks of fat you find along the way.
   
   
4. On a foil-lined tray, place a single layer of the shredded pork and drizzle the pork with a bit of the cooking juice. Turn on the broiler and place the pork under the broiler (about 6 inches away) and let it crisp up for about 5 minutes.  The pork will now have some of the crispness you traditionally find in fried carnitas.
   
   
5. Serve with corn tortillas and a variety of taco garnishing: salsa, sour cream, avocado, fresh tomatoes, crisp lettuce, a blend of Mexican cheeses, cilantro or as a platter with refried beans, rice, and salad.