As I’m sitting here typing, I realize that this particular post would have been far more interesting before Cinco de Mayo. In any case, I did this fun little healthy Mexican food cooking demo last week. One of the dishes that I made was an adaptation of Carnitas. Instead of deep frying the meat in a ton of oil, I seared chunks of pork in a non-stick pan (I’m a *huge* fan of Scanpan) with no oil and then popped them into the slow cooker to finish them. Guess what? This stuff gets devoured every time I make it. It’s always a hit at the cooking demonstration. Plus, I’ve been talking to a number of clients lately who are having some problems getting dinner on the table during the week. The slow cooker is definitely a huge help in this area. With this dish, you could sear up the pork the night before when your cleaning up from dinner. Toss the meat into the slow cooker and put it in the fridge over night. Before you leave the house the next morning, just pop the crock into the cooker and turn it on. Done. It’s that easy. And, trust me . . . you won’t miss the oil and the deep frying that usually accompany Carnitas. Enjoy!
- 2 pounds of pork shoulder or pork butt – trim this . . . you might want slightly more than 2 pounds to start off with because of the fat cap you trim off
- Salt and pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 medium white or yellow onion, peeled and quartered
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
Trim the fat off of the pork. Cut the pork into cubes that are about 2 inches in size. Sprinkle with some salt and pepper.
Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Without crowding the pan, add the pork cubes. (You may need to do this in batches depending on the size of your pan – do not crowd the meat . . . it’ll steam instead of sear.) Get the cubes nice and brown on all sides. Remove the pork from the skillet and toss into the slow cooker.
Add the remaining ingredients (salt through garlic). If you are prepping for the next day, just pop the crock into the fridge until the next morning. Otherwise . . .
Pop the crock into the slow cooker. Turn on the slow cooker for either 3 1/2 hours on high or 6 – 7 hours on low.
Remove the pork from the slow cooker with a slotted spoon. Discard all of the peppercorns, bay leaves, onions and garlic. Shred the pork with a couple of forks. Serve.
Excellent on salads, as small street tacos (or lettuce wraps) or in homemade “bowls” with beans, sauteed peppers and onions, brown rice or quinoa and guacamole.