Slow Cooked Pulled Pork Carnitas

Course Main Course, Pork

Cuisine American, Mexican Inspired, Southern

Keyword carnitas, crockpot-pork-carnitas, slow-cooked-pork-carnitas

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 8

Total Time 8 10

Servings servings

Calories 340kcal

Author Melissa Sperka

Ingredients

1 5-6 lb pork butt/shoulder
1 10 oz can diced tomatoes and chilies [such as Rotel Chili Fixins']
1 large sweet onion halved, thinly sliced/diced
1/3 cup cilantro roughly chopped
3 Tbsp tomato paste plus additional as needed
20 corn tortillas
Paste rub:
4 cloves garlic minced
2-3 chipotle in adobo chopped
1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp lime juice
3 Tbsp taco or fiesta seasoning [i.e. McCormick's or Weber]
1 tsp ancho chili powder or paprika
1 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/8 tsp cinnamon
salt and black pepper to taste
Assorted toppings: Shredded lettuce queso fresco, Pico de Gallo, sour cream

Instructions

Spray the bottom and sides of a 6 quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Pour the tomatoes on the bottom. Sprinkle the chopped onion and cilantro on top.
In a small bowl mix together garlic, chipotle in adobo, olive oil, lime juice, taco or fiesta seasoning, ancho chili powder, onion powder, cayenne, cinnamon, salt and black pepper to taste until combined. Rub the pork on all sides liberally using all of the paste.
Center in the slow cooker. Sprinkle with additional salt and black pepper. Cover and cook on high for 1 hour then on low for 7-8 hours.
Remove from the slow cooker, shred the pork and remove the bone.
Use a large spoon to skim the fat drippings from the top of the sauce. [Tip: If preparing in advance remove the pork butt from the sauce and chill. The fat will solidify and rise to the top, and can easily be removed]
Thicken the sauce with 3 Tbsp of tomato paste, using more or less as desired. Adjust the seasonings., salt and pepper to your taste. Return the shredded meat to the sauce.
Simmer on high for 15-20 minutes. Keep warm until serving.
Serve with warm corn tortillas and your favorite toppings.

Notes

Depending on the amount of liquid released by the pork, you may need more than 3 Tbsp of tomato paste for thickening. Use your best judgment and thicken as needed.

Nutrition