Are you thawing out yet?
We got more than 15" here in Richmond and the snow days were just what the doctor ordered! Bryce has been traveling a lot the last two weeks, so being snowed in and having quality time just the two of us was so nice.
On my first snow day, I made crockpot carnitas...something I'd been dying to try forever! Bryce loves Mexican food and could eat it on a weekly basis. While I enjoy it, I'm more a once a month Mexican kinda girl. All that being said, I was excited to take a stab at one of Bryce's favorite foods.
I am so glad I did, because boy were they tasty! They were also very easy and cost effective! The whole pork shoulder cost around $10 and was enough to make 2 batches of this recipe, and each batch makes around 6 servings, or 3 meals for a couple. That put the pork cost for our dinner on Friday night to less than $2...add in the other ingredients, many of which we had on hand, and our whole meal probably cost less than $10!
I had pinned several different crockpot carnitas recipes and made my own version by referencing them. You can see my inspiration recipes here, here, and here.
Crockpot Carnitas
Serves 6
Ingredients
2.5-3 lb pork shoulder
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp oregano
2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, slivered
1 beer
juice of 2 limes
2 bay leaves
2 tsp hot sauce
Directions
Combine all ingredients in crockpot, stir to mix together. (Many recipes recommended using the seasonings to make a dry rub. I was lazy and just dumped everything into the crockpot, making sure to mix well and the end result was still delicious!)
Cook on low in crockpot for 6-8 hours. (The cumin and cinnamon are so fragrant and fill your house with a wonderful smell...mmmm!)
Line a baking sheet with foil and remove pork from crockpot using a slotted spoon. Put onto foil and shred with 2 forks. Top the meat with some of the leftover liquid in the crockpot.
Place baking sheet in oven under the broiler, broiling approximately 5 min on each side, until browned.
I served with homemade chimichurri sauce (recipe here). As a note, next time, I will probably use half the vinegar this recipe called for. I also, made cauliflower tortillas (recipe here) to make it diet approved. I will say, I continue to be pleasantly surprised by how good the cauliflower substitutes are as we do this diet! The tortillas were amazing!
I also topped mine with some fresh grated parmesan and chopped red onions. Bryce did the same but also added salsa and sour cream to his!
I will suffice it to say, he was pleased!
Are you a fan of Mexican cuisine?
What are some of your favorite crockpot recipes?
Have a great day!