Slow Cooker Carnitas Tacos

Prep: 20 min

Total Time: 15:30

Servings: 6

Ingredients

1 ¾ pounds Boneless Pork Shoulder, trimmed

1 tablespoon Dark Brown Sugar

1 teaspoon Kosher Salt, divided

¾ teaspoon Black Pepper, divided

¼ cup fresh Lime Juice, divided

¼ cup fresh Orange Juice, divided

2 cups Hot Water

1 dried Ancho Chile

4 Garlic, cloves, smashed

1 White Onion, sliced (about 1 ½ cups)

1 Bay Leaf

1 Cinnamon Stick

2 Oregano Sprigs

1 tablespoon Canola Oil

12 (6-in.) Corn Tortillas, warmed

6 tablespoons chopped White Onion

Lime Wedges and Cilantro, for toppings

Instructions

Cut pork into 3-inch pieces, and place in a large ziplock bag. Sprinkle with brown sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Add 2 tablespoons lime juice and 2 tablespoons orange juice to bag, and seal, removing as much air as possible. Refrigerate 8 to 24 hours.

Place 2 cups hot water and dried ancho chile in a bowl, and let stand 10 minutes. Drain, reserving ¼ cup soaking liquid. Transfer pork to a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker, and discard marinade. Add garlic, sliced onion, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, oregano, ancho chile, reserved ¼ cup soaking liquid, remaining 2 tablespoons lime juice, and remaining 2 tablespoons orange juice. Cover and cook on low until meat is very tender, 7 to 8 hours.

Remove pork to a bowl, and pour cooking liquid through a fine wire-mesh strainer into a separate bowl. Discard solids. Heat canola oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high. Add pork, and sear 1 minute without stirring. Return pork to bowl. Add ½ cup cooking liquid to skillet. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up any bits of pork stuck to bottom of skillet. Pour over pork; add remaining ½ teaspoon salt and remaining ¼ teaspoon pepper. Shred pork. Divide pork evenly among tortillas; top each with 1 ½ teaspoons chopped onion. Serve with cilantro and lime wedges, if desired.

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