Slow Cooker Carnitas

(from castro15’s recipe box)

Categories: Slow Cooker

Ingredients

  • 3-4 pounds pork shoulder roast
  • 15 ounces green taco sauce
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • minced
  • 1/2 sweet onion
  • sliced
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 2 teaspoons cumin
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
  • or to taste
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • (Do not add to crockpot.)
  • 10-12 small tortillas
  • (Corn and whole wheat blend tortillas are my current fav.)

Directions

  1. Cut roast into 3-4 large pieces. Pierce meat all over with a knife.

  2. Stir together taco sauce, garlic, onion, chili powder, oregano, cumin, salt, cayenne, and water. Add pork pieces, and spoon liquid over the meat to coat all sides.

  3. Cover crockpot and cook on high 6-8 hours or low 8-10 hours, until meat shreds easily.

  4. When meat is done, preheat oven to 275 degrees. Take pork out of the slow cooker and shred on a large-rimmed baking sheet lined with foil or a baking mat to make cleanup easier. Discard any large pieces of fat. (Leave most of the onion behind, but it’s OK if some is incorporated with the meat.)

  5. Pour ½ cup of cooking liquid and ½ cup of milk over shredded pork. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes until brown and crispy. Remove meat for serving with tongs to leave excess fat behind.

  6. Serve with tortillas, finely shredded cabbage, guacamole or avocado, and green salsa.

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