Pork carnitas tacos

Serves:
12
Preparation Time:
15 mins
Cooking Time:
6 hours
Ingredients:
- 2.5 kg Tasman pork shoulder roast (bone-in, skinless, but leave some of the fat cap on)
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 jalapeno, deseeded, chopped
- 2 ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 oranges, juice only (or substitute with ¾ cups fresh orange juice)
Rub:
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp olive oil
For Tacos & Toppings:
- corn tortillas
- slices of avocado
- coriander, roughly chopped
- red onion, diced
- wedges of lime
Method:
- Rinse and pat dry the pork shoulder then rub in salt and pepper.
- Combine the rub ingredients then rub all over the pork.
- Place the pork in a slowcooker (fat cap up), top with the onion, jalapeno, minced garlic (don't wory about spreading it) and squeeze over the juice of the orange.
- Cook on high for 6 hours.
- The meat should be tender and falling off the bone. Remove from the slow cooker and let cool slightly. Shred the pork using two forks.
- Skim off the fat from the juices remaining in the slow cooker and discard the fat. If you are left with a lot more than 1.5 -2 cups of juice, then reduce it in a saucepan to reach this amount. The liquid will be salty - it is the seasoning for the pork. Set aside.
To prepare the pork carnitas:
- Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a large non-stick pan over high heat. Place about ¼ of the shredded pork into the pan, drizzle over some juices. Wait until the juices evaporate and the bottom side is golden brown and crusty. Turn and briefly sear the other side - you don't want to brown it all over as you want a mix of tender and crispy.
- Repeat in batches (roughly 4 altogether), without crowding the pan.
- Remove pork from the pan. Drizzle over more juices and serve immediately.
To serve tacos:
- Serve on warm corn tortillas and top with onions, coriander, avocado slices and lime juice! Enjoy!
Notes
- This recipe makes a lot of pulled pork and can be used just as well for nachos, burritos, enchiladas, quesadillas etc.
- If making ahead (up to 3 days) shred the meat without pan-frying and keep the juices separate, refridgerate. Pour juices over while it is browning per recipe.
- If freezing, pour the juices over the pulled pork (pre bowning) and store in ziplock bags or airtight containers. To use, defrost completely before following the recipe to brown the pork.