Whenever I write a recipe, I always start by doing a little research on the history of the dish and looking at 10 or more recipes. I decided to make carnitas for this post, and after a little digging, I was a little surprised to find the authentic Mexican version is made by slowly braising pork in lard or oil over 3 or 4 hours.
Most of the recipes I reviewed were not truly authentic and called for braising the pork in liquid, with many of them including citrus juice. None of them required a pot full of lard, which was not an option with me. I’m certain that lard-braised pork is delicious, but the days of that kind of decadence are long gone for me.
We’re three months into 2015, and I’m proud to say we’re still eating less meat and more alternative forms of protein. If we are in a carnivorous mood, we opt for chicken, fish, or lean cuts of meat. Usually, carnitas are made with a Boston Butt or similar fatty cut of pork, but in an effort to stay on our program, I made this version with pork tenderloin. Although lacking in fat, the pork remained deliciously moist due to the braising liquid.
Following the braising step, carnitas are typically browned under the broiler. Because pork tenderloin is so lean, though, I chose to skip this step to avoid drying out the meat. After five hours in the slow cooker, I strained the meat and reduced the braising liquid by half and returned it to the meat. The finished pork was moist and delicious.
Ingredients
2 large pork tenderloins (about 2 to 2 1/2 pounds), sliced into 1 1/2 inch pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon chipotle seasoning
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken stock
1 cup orange juice
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Instructions
1. Transfer pork, onions, and garlic to slower cooker and sprinkle with cumin, chili powder, chipotle seasoning, oregano, salt, and pepper. Drizzle olive oil over pork and onions. Toss to coat meat with seasoning. Add chicken stock, orange juice, and lime juice. Cover and cook on high setting for five hours.
2. Remove pork from cooker and use two forks to shred the meat. Return to the cooker and cook for 15 minutes.
3. Strain liquid from the meat and transfer liquid to a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Lower heat and reduce liquid by half. Add liquid back to carnitas and serve immediately.
https://southernboydishes.com/2015/03/20/slow-cooker-carnitas/You may also like:
Bill Harris
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Yankee Kitchen Ninja (Julianne) says
March 24, 2015 at 12:13 pmYeah, thanks for forgoing the pot o’ lard. 🙂 I’m a sucker for slow-cooker recipes so I’m sure I’ll be trying this soon — thanks, Bill!
Shashi at RunninSrilankan says
March 23, 2015 at 6:05 pmWith all those aromatic spices in this – I swear I think I can smell it over here in Tucker, Georgia! Such an incredibly flavorful dish Bill and as usual, your photos are fantastic!
John@Kitchen Riffs says
March 22, 2015 at 5:02 pmYou really should try carnitas with the lard, at least once. Lard has a bad reputation, but is actually healthier than some other fats (hard to believe, I know!). And of course you don’t really eat the lard because the meat doesn’t absorb it. In fact, a lot of the fat in the pork cooks out with this process. Doesn’t seem as if it should, but it does. Anyway, this looks great — really nice carnitas variation.
Foodiewife says
March 21, 2015 at 11:33 pmI posted a carnitas recipe fairly recently. I absolutely adore carnitas, and the crispy edges are irresistible. Making this with pork tenderloin was brave, but also brilliant. What a great idea to add back to braising sauce. To know me is to know that I loooooooooove Mexican food. (Of course, it’s half of my bloodline anyway)
Barbara | Creative Culinary says
March 21, 2015 at 7:35 pmI just made a whole bunch of pork for Cubano sandwiches Bill and the ingredients are very similar. The sandwiches were divine but really only because the pork was SO good; Gotta give a lot of credit to the orange and lime juices which I had never done before.
Lucky me I shredded a bunch too and thanks to you I remembered!
Thalia @ butter and brioche says
March 20, 2015 at 8:36 pmI sure love my Mexican food.. so this recipe is perfect for me. I never have tried carnitas before but judging from this post it is something delicious I would love.
Bill Harris says
March 21, 2015 at 1:34 amThis recipe is so easy, Thalia. I think you’ll like it. Have a great weekend!
Sippitysup says
March 20, 2015 at 4:07 pmI love carnitas of all stripes. Mostly because I love pork so much. In LA, lard-braised carnitas are pretty much standard at the best taco stands and they are spectacular too. Think duck confit and you get the idea. The fat in lard contributes to the texture much the same way. GREG
Bill Harris says
March 21, 2015 at 1:34 amI might throw caution to the wind and try one if they’re that good!