Sunday Style Citrus Carnitas

Tender, slow-cooked pork infused with bright citrus and aromatic spices, perfect for shredding and serving in tortillas with fresh accompaniments.

• Prep: 15 min
• Cook: 6 hr
• Total: 6 hr 15 min
• Servings: 4
• Cuisine: Latin
• Difficulty: Medium
• Cost: $3.75/serving

Dietary

• Nut-Free
• Dairy-Free
• Egg-Free
• High-Protein
• High-Fiber

Tags

• slow cooker
• comfort food
• savory
• classic
• healthy

Ingredients

• 2 pound boneless pork shoulder (cut into 2-inch chunks)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 yellow onion (medium, sliced)
• 4 clove garlic (minced)
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 0.5 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 large orange (quartered)
• 1 lime (halved)
• 0.5 cup chicken broth
• 15 ounce black beans (rinsed and drained)
• 8 corn tortillas
• 0.25 cup fresh cilantro (chopped)

Instructions

1. Pat pork chunks dry with paper towels. Season with salt and black pepper.
2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear pork chunks on all sides until browned, about 5-7 minutes total. Transfer seared pork to a slow cooker.
3. Add sliced yellow onion and minced garlic to the slow cooker, along with ground cumin, dried oregano, salt, black pepper, orange quarters, lime halves, and chicken broth.
4. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours, until the pork is fork-tender.
5. Once cooked, remove pork from the slow cooker and shred it using two forks. Discard orange and lime rinds. If desired, you can crisp up the shredded pork under a broiler for 5-10 minutes (optional).
6. While pork is crisping, heat rinsed black beans. Serve the shredded carnitas with warm corn tortillas and a side of black beans. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro.

Notes

For crispy carnitas, spread the shredded pork on a baking sheet and broil for 5-10 minutes, stirring once, until edges are browned and crisp.

Nutrition (per serving)

• Calories: 615
• Protein: 51.5 g
• Carbohydrates: 38.5 g
• Fat: 30.1 g
• Fiber: 8.5 g
• Sodium: 850 mg
• Saturated Fat: 11.5 g
• Sugar: 5.5 g
• Cholesterol: 160 mg