Slow Cooked Pulled Pork Carnitas
Servings 20 servings
Ingredients
- 1 5-6 lb pork butt/shoulder
- 1 10 oz can diced tomatoes & 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 & 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.
- Mix together all of the ingredients for the paste. Rub the pork on all sides liberally using all of the paste.
- Season with salt & black pepper to your taste.
- Center in the slow cooker. 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, more if 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.