{"id":6037,"date":"2024-12-19T05:58:50","date_gmt":"2024-12-18T18:58:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dinnertimesomewhere.com\/?p=6037"},"modified":"2024-12-19T06:18:35","modified_gmt":"2024-12-18T19:18:35","slug":"slow-cooked-carnitas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dinnertimesomewhere.com\/index.php\/dinner\/pork-dinner\/slow-cooked-carnitas\/","title":{"rendered":"Slow Cooked Carnitas with Cola"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In this recipe we\u2019ll show you how to make the classic Slow Cooked Carnitas, otherwise known as Slow Cooked Pulled Pork. In this classic recipe we follow the traditional approach to making this amazing dish by including Cola in the braising liquid! Adding Cola allows for a rich sweetness to soak into the Pork and, after 6 hours in the slow cooker it will come out amazingly tender and tasty. Carnitas can be used in a myriad of dishes, with popular choices being Sandwiches and Tacos

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
Jump to Recipe<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

This simple dish is made using a Slow Cooker<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Slow cooking food is so great. You simply load up your slow cooker with a bunch of ingredients, then set and forget! The slow cooking process does all the work for you! In 6 hours\u2019 time you\u2019ve got the most delicious tasting Pulled Pork ever. It seems wrong for achieving such great flavors with such little effort, but we\u2019re not complaining!

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We used an Instant Pot for this recipe, but any slow cooker will do. Even if you don\u2019t own a slow cooker you can still cook this dish. Just use a large pot such as a Dutch Oven with a lid and set it over the stovetop on a low heat. Make sure to check on it every couple of hours and give it a good stir

<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Slow
This beautiful Slow Cooked Carnitas dish is made using a slow cooker<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

The flavor is developed in this dish from a beautiful braising liquid<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s so much flavor in this Slow Cooked Carnitas dish, and it comes from several sources. The first being the braising liquid which is used to submerge the Pork in the slow cooker. The braising liquid utilizes a combination of sweet and sour ingredients that make for the perfect combination of flavors

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The sour components are a combination of Orange Juice, Lemon Juice, and Lime Juice. Use about 1 cup of Orange Juice and \u00bd cup each of Lemon and Lime Juice. We recommend using freshly squeezed Orange Juice over the store bought stuff. Depending on how juicy your Oranges are you\u2019ll need 3 \u2013 4 of them. If you add a little more that\u2019s totally fine!

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The same goes for the Lemon and Lime Juice. Sometimes I find that fresh Limes sometimes yield less juice, so if you need to substitute it with a little more Lemon Juice to get the right quantities that is totally fine

<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Pork
Amazing Pork Tacos are just one of the dishes you can enjoy with this Slow Cooked Carnitas recipe<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

The Cola is the final ingredient for the braising liquid, bringing sugary sweetness. It may seem like a weird addition to a dish, but this truly is the secret ingredient to a great Slow Cooked Carnitas dish. The Cola adds much needed sugary sweetness that balances out the Sourness from the Orange, Lime, and Lemon

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Use whatever Cola you prefer. We went with Pepsi purely because we had some in the fridge after a Pizza order! We don\u2019t typically drink Cola, so it was a great way to utilize it. It doesn\u2019t matter too much which brand you use, as we\u2019re mainly utilizing it for the sugary sweetness it provides to the dish

<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Pork
We apply a flavorsome dry rub to the Pork to get even more flavor into this wonderful dish<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

We get even more flavor into the Pork by applying a delicious dry rub<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Completing the traditional Slow Cooked Carnitas recipe involves applying a generous dry rub seasoning to the Pork. We use a combination of classic Mexican-inspired ingredients including Smoked Paprika, Cumin Powder, Coriander Powder, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, and a load of Salt of course

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, if you want to add a little bit of spice to the dish (which you absolutely should!) then try adding some Cayenne Pepper to the dry rub. We added about \u00bd tsp., and the heat came through, without it being overpowering. So, you can scale the spice levels accordingly by how much Cayenne Pepper you add (or none at all if you don\u2019t want it spicy)

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the liquid doesn\u2019t full submerge the Pork, turn it halfway through the cook<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It is important that all the Pork spends time submerged in the braising liquid while it is slow cooking. If your liquid doesn\u2019t completely cover the Pork you can either add more, or simply turn the Pork about halfway through

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Getting the Pork a good dose of time underwater helps to tenderize it, resulting in those famous Pulled Pork strands we all know and love. If you find at the end of the cook some parts are more easily pulling away, simply give it another 30 minutes in the Pot. Remove the cooked elements and what\u2019s remaining should then be able to be submerged completely

<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Pulled
Once cooked the Pork will easily tear apart into those famous Pulled Pork strands<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Once cooked, remove the Pork and reduce the sauce to concentrate it further<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One drawback about using a Slow Cooker is there is no chance for the water to evaporate out of the dish. This does tend to result in bland flavors. Even with all the delicious ingredients in this dish, there is still a load of water caught in the dish

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The final step of making perfect Slow Cooked Carnitas is to remove the Pork and reduce the braising liquid. The best way to do this is to simply add the Liquid to a large frying pan and boil it over high heat. This will remove all that excess water from the dish, concentrating the remaining flavors in the sauce

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do this for about 30 minutes and then add the Pork (which you\u2019ve now shredded using the back of two forks) back into the liquid. It\u2019s now ready to serve! Leaving the Pulled Pork in the liquid will keep it super moist and tender. When serving, we recommend straining it a little bit to avoid the juice going everywhere!

<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Pulled
Once the braising liquid has reduced, add the Pork back into it and it’ll be ready to serve<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

How to enjoy Slow Cooked Pork Carnitas<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You can honestly just eat this delicious Puled Pork as it is. It makes for a perfect protein to pair with a load of tasty Side Dishes<\/a> and it\u2019s going to taste great!

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other popular ways to eat this dish are turning them into tasty Pulled Pork Tacos or loading it up into a Burger Bun for a delicious Pulled Pork Sandwich or Slider. Depending on how you serve the Pork may influence the accompanying ingredients

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For a Taco, we recommend adding something sweet like Pineapple or Mango to the Tacos. The pairing works magically, and it also looks beautiful on the plate! For a Sandwich \/ Slider, you can add something fresh and crunchy like Lettuce or Slaw. Of course, a generous drizzling of BBQ Sauce never hurt anyone either! However you enjoy your Pork Carnitas, we guarantee you\u2019re going to love this delicious dish

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n