Um.
I love pork.
Vegetarianism is obviously not in the stars for me because I would die before giving up sausage, bacon, and carnitas.
One thing that I really like about the Philippines is that they know and love pork. Lots of pork. Pork adobo, lechon, chicharones, and humba. They even have weird things like delicious pork belly.
And they even have non-weird things like the sweetest babies ever.
You guys? Can I ask you something not related to the world’s cutest baby?
Are you nervous about me making pork belly?
Because I was thinking of doing a Filipino pork belly recipe but I don’t want to scare you guys away with my pork love and a weirdo type of meat. It’s totally weirdo, but I promise, it’s so good.
But now we need to focus. Fooooocus.
Focus on the task at hand which is putting your feet up and letting this make itself.
- 4-5 lbs. pork shoulder
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon chipotle hot sauce (optional)
- juice of 2 limes
- ½ cup orange juice
- 12 ounces beer
- ½ cup salsa (I like to use a less chunky one)
- Place the pork shoulder in the slow cooker. Roughly chop the garlic and place in the slow cooker (I actually kind of rubbed it onto the meat to get as much garlic flavor as possible, but you could just toss it in, too).
- Sprinkle the meat with salt, cumin, chili powder, black pepper, oregano, cinnamon, and cayenne. Rub seasonings onto the pork.
- Add lime juice, orange juice, beer, and salsa. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
- Shred meat with two forks directly in the slow cooker (or take out, shred, and replace in sauce). It should fall apart easily.
- Preheat broiler. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place the shredded meat on the cooking sheet and pour a few spoonfuls of sauce over the top. Broil for 5-10 minutes or until you get browned edges on the pork.
- Serve on tortillas with fresh cilantro, avocado, and lime juice.
Leftovers? YOU CRAZY. Of course I planned for the leftovers, and it’s seriously.so.good and it’s coming on Friday.
{Update: this is what I did with the leftovers – Carnitas Tamale Pie!}
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Oh how I love carnitas! And sweet babies. And pork belly doesn’t scare me either!
This looks amazing! I love carnitas. And the spices here look like a nice combination! When I make them I don’t even bother eating them with anything. No tortillas or anything like that. Just a big ol’ plate of meat.
And I had no idea that pork belly wasn’t a mainstream cut of pork. So no, I don’t mind.
Yum. I have a pork shoulder in the freezer right now that I wanted to do something different with, and thanks to you it looks like I found it! Carnitas! Wonderful! Oh, and about the pork belly, I am willing to try anything at least twice, so go for it. Hopefully, I am able to get my hands on one.
I’ve been considering giving carnitas a shot, and these pictures have definitely made my decision for me. And I’m even more excited about pork belly. I would LOVE to know something fantastic to do with it.
Is pork belly considered weird then? It’s probably the cut of pork that most often appears on restaurant menus here (& it’s amazing) so I’m all for it.
I don’t know which I want to chew on first – the pork or the baby cheeks!
You can share the pork belly recipe, but I will in no way partake. Pork belly? No.
I want pork belly! And I want A pork belly.
All of it. Rawt ner.
Yum!!!!! So easy too. Can’t wait to try
Oh yum!! This looks like a crock pot recipe my husband will actually like:-) Will be making…thanks!
We had this tonight! Yum! The meat was a bit salty for us (and I’m down with salt!) but otherwise delish. Can’t wait to try it again, maybe with 2 tsp. of salt this time. I did substitute chicken broth for the beer….which probably explains the saltiness;-)
Is there a substitute for the beer?
Maybe just chicken broth? http://homecooking.about.com/library/archive/blalcohol6.htm
Pork tastes super yummy when cooked in root beer!
No…
I’ve heard of using a can of coke or Pepsi as a substitute for beer. I’m actually making these today and using Miller Lite Lime. Will let you know how they turn out! Can’t wait!
Interesting! Thanks Nicole!
These turned out AWESOME! And I thought I couldn’t cook!
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. Just came across it and your blog through Pinterest the other day. Can’t wait to try out more of your recipes! And if we have enough leftovers (I only made a 3 lb batch), I’ll definitely try out the Tamale Pie!
Yes a million times over. Carnitas are the best. PS – I love pork too!
Totally making this. And bring on the pork belly!
I’ve been eyeing it up at the Korean Market (and Whole Foods).
I made something so similar in my crockpot yesterday but with chicken. You have to love throwing it all in and walking away.
You’re not weird at all. I could NEVER give up meat!
Did you cook the chicken for the same amount of time the pork called for?
What a wonderful picture of a delicious looking dish. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Sharing your love of pork!! Can we a “hug” button for the baby????
I’m so excited to try this since I too love Carnitas and the ones that I made last week were SO DRY! I love the chance to redeem myself with my family:)) Question though….What is the purpose of broiling/browning the meat before serving?
It just gives it that nice brown crispy look on the edges. I think it tastes good that way, kind of browned a little bit. Otherwise, to me, it’s too mushy or something. I mean, it’s still good, I just like the color/texture that it gives.
this dish looks very much like my pulled pork,everyonee loves it . Im game to try pork belly ,if its greasy fry it out good,give me the recipe .
Thomas Keller cured me of pork belly fear. I think it is just the name. They really should find another name for it.
Yummy recipe. Not to take away from your previous post, but this recipe is the best thing you have done.
Oh my gosh, the babies. Over the top cuteness.
I agree about the name thing. It weirds me out even though I know it’s delicious.
This looks so good! I cannot wait to try it!
I love the baby picture, the recipe, and the fact that this post is so “you” that I can practically hear you right through the screen. But, most of all, I love the twinkly-eyed moments during the day when your alumni sweetly call me Mrs. Ostrom, then sheepishly look away. You are still present at Edgerton, Lindsay, and we are eagerly awaiting your return.
P.s. I have a new obsession with roasted chickpeas. If you haven’t tried them, it’s an absolute must!
I haven’t tried them, but I will now!
Pork belly is the best thing ever and by the looks of it, so are these carnitas!
I’m definately a meat eater. Bring on the pork! Pork belly sure does sound weird but if you say it’s pretty good…I guess I can give it a try.
lovely! hmmm did you use your rice cooker for this?
OMG! Salivating looking at that recipe and it’s still kind of morning here. Am at home from work with a sick child otherwise would be off to the market to buy me some pork! Oh and I love pork belly too so yes please share a recipe! love the crunchy skin and then the under-layers that just melt in your mouth! Living in Italy, we can’t ever find this here so I always indulge when I go back home to Australia!
Learn something new everyday… Step #5.. browning under the broiler. Never thought about that. Great way to add additional edge to meat in crock pot!
I love pulled pork and this recipe sounds so good…love the cilantro on top. I can’t wait to see your recipe on pork belly – I’ve never cooked with it. But love seeing what they make on Top Chef with it!
I miss all the pork dishes in the Philippines! Since you are in Cebu, I hope you get to try Cebu lechon (whole roasted pig) soon – it is definitely the best in the country! The carnitas look great, too and I kinda want them for breakfast now…
Um, I need to eat these RIGHT NOW. They look SO GOOD! Printed the recipe.
Love the idea of these being ready for me when I come home from work. Love you, Linds!
I love that this can be made in the slow cooker! And yes, that really is the most cutest baby ever!
I mean…pork belly is like bacon, soo…bring it on.
This recipe looks so delicious. I am also a big lover of the pork- to think that I was a vegetarian and gave it up for multiple years makes me shudder.
I love Pork, and I love this recipe! I am in the middle of a challenge to cut out artificial flavors, preservatives and added ingredients that aren’t healthy~I’m on day 5 and have been looking for easy crock pot recipes…I CAN HAVE THIS! I’ll make whole wheat tortillas and fresh tomatillo salsa to go along with it! Thank you for posting this!
the recipe looks so comforting and your pic is great. thx.
Hi, the carnitas look great! I can’t wait to try them. Living in Australia I have never tried them! Pork belly however I know far too well & I love! Please show us your Filipino version!
I wanted to stop by to let you know that I featured this on my site today in my “What I Bookmarked This Week” post. Stop by and see!
Yes, we do love pork and know how to work with it! I actually love pork belly…it’s a wonderful cut to cook. The layers of fat ensure that the meat remains moist while cooking and doesn’t dry out like, say, a loin would. We can it ‘liempo’ (lee-yem-poh)
Enjoy!
I am so excited to make it but I have no idea what I’m doing! I’ll have to check your site for some pointers…
Ok… just got finished eating the carnitas! Super easy to make and oh so delicious!!!
Thanks for the knowledge!!
Awesome Lindsay!
What’s the portion size? Would be great if you started adding that to your recipes.
This looks DEE-LISH! as does everything else on your blog! I cam across your sweet potato skins on Pinterest and I’m making them tonight. I’m very excited
Your blog is fabulous! I’m passing “you” along to all of my foody friends
THANK YOU!
Nancie
Wow, that’s so sweet. Thanks Nancie! Hope you like the sweet potato skins!
If you haven’t done the pork belly recipe, please do it!! I’m filipino-american, & I know that Filipinos know how to do pork belly right & so deliciously. Can you say Lechon Kawali?? And I LOVE your blog & your respect & embrace of the Philippines’ vibrant culture & food! Kudos!!
Thanks Madonna! I am still working on getting up the courage to give it a try… this week I made pancit for the first time and I was eating it straight from the pan. So good!
I just put all the ingredients together and its cooking in the crockpot! Thanks for the recipe!
Hello, new follower here! I would love to have you link up with my Clever Chicks Blog Hop this week!
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/10/upcycled-chicken-coop-clever-chicks.html
I hope to see you there!
Cheers!
Kathy
The Chicken Chick
Oh my goodness, my friend! You deserve kudos for this one! Made it for dinner tonight and EVERYONE loved it! Thanks!!
Looks super yummy!!! I’ve been cooking BBQ pork in the slow cooker for awhile now, I’ve been looking for a good carnitas recipe
Just made this tonight and it was yummy! We used a beef roast since we didn’t have pork on hand (we’ll have to try it next time with pork though). So tasty!
Hehe. You said humba.
That makes me really happy.
PS. My cousin say pork belly is the same piggy part as streaky bacon or pancetta, except without the curing. So, if you get scared, just think streaky bacon. Good luck!
Excellent! I replaced the beer with sparkling apple cider – sooooo good!
what type of salsa? What brand? Thanks
Just mild or medium tomato salsa! And it can be any type or brand you like! I honestly don’t even remember what brand I used. Nothing fancy, that’s for sure.
I have made carnitas a few times but they were always good… Not great. I just made these for dinner and they were the best carnitas we have ever had! AMAZING! Thank you!
Awesome! Thanks Brooke!
This looks great! What type of beer did you use? Light? Dark?
Nellie, I made these last night and used an amber beer (Full Sail Amber)….they turned out perfectly.
Bacon is cured pork belly. How weird.
I made these just this morning! Thank you for the recipe.
Made this tonight, found it on Pinterest, Pork Carnitas are great my picky daughter loved them.:)
Glad you liked them!
was all prepped to make these for tonight and now we are going to the in-laws for dinner. So, it will be marinating all day/night and going into the slow cooker tomorrow morning. Hope this doesn’t affect it adversely – though I can’t imagine it would. Can’t wait to try!
I made this last night for a Christmas celebration with friends and it was crazy good!!! I followed the recipe exactly and used amber beer (Full Sail Amber).
It has made it to the top of my “what to cook when friends come over”. I think we’ll be seeing a lot of carnitas in our future.
Thank you so much for sharing!
It’s perfect for entertaining – lots of food, little prep. Glad you liked it!
This looks amazing. Is there any certain beer that works best with this recipe?
I used a Filipino brand of light beer. If I could choose any brand, blue moon.
Does it make a difference if the pork shoulder is boneless or bone-in?
I would love the pork belly recipe. Bring it on!
Argh. I know. I’ve been putting it off now since I wrote this post but you’ve inspired me to give it a try! Soon!
I made these tonight it was absolutely delicious! Thank you for the recipe I will be making these again! That baby is precious!
Glad you liked them Laura!
I’ve got all of the ingredients in the house to make this tomorrow and I can’t wait. Just a quick question though, I’ve never made Carnitas before, do you remove the skin from the meat for this recipe?
Sharon
I didn’t do anything to my meat before cooking it, but I guess I’m not sure if mine had skin. Just lots of marbled meat/fat, like a pot roast.
Thanks for responding
I thought looking at your pictures it must be without skin so I just took it off and was left with the meat and a bit of marbled fat. It’s been in the slow cooker for 6 hours now, can’t wait to try it when it’s ready!
These came out wonderfully. Thanks so much for this recipe.
I have family members with some unusual food sensitivities, so I subbed in pineapple juice for OJ, and instead of salsa used mild green chile enchilada sauce by Old El Paso – it is tomato free.
So tender, and the finish in the broiler was just the right touch.
The broiler is my favorite too! So good.
As someone who worked in a pork processing plant for 5 yrs. most all of you have already eaten pork belly, only when you eat it, its been cured in salt, or brine and smocked….or as common people call it….BACON. Thats right folks, in the US the most common cut of meat used for making bacon….is the pork belly.
I’m trying this carnitas recipe today. It’s in the crockpot as I’m here at work. The prep smelled good by itself. I can’t wait to get home this afternoon to smell it!
I love carnitas, but I’d never managed to pull them off. Either they were dry or the flavor wasn’t right, but this recipe really worked well for me. Made this a few weeks ago for my family and everyone loved it so much that they’ve asked for it again, and I’ve got some picky eaters. It was juicy and tender, plus the broiling gave it a nice roasty texture. I used Corona for the beer. I mean, you already drink it with lime, right? I didn’t have chipotle paste, so I substituted a bit of Sriracha. It worked out well. The one thing I noted, though, is that my roast was done 2 hours earlier than expecte, buy I guess that could just be that my crockpot runs a little hotter than it ought.
I’ve read pork shoulder/butt is best for carnitas, but I have pork tenderloin – could I use the loin for this recipe and just maybe cut down on cooking time?
Thanks!
Part of what makes this great (with the other cut of meat) is all the … fat… and I think pork tenderloin has quite a bit less fat, but give a go and let me know how it turns out! It would be awesome to have a healthier version of this!
This recipe is delicious! This is the first time I used my crock pot and I did this recipe (halved everything since I only used 2 lbs of pork shoulder). The only thing I changed was that I rubbed some diced jalapenos along with the garlic (I love spicy food!)
The browning of the meat after its done with the crockpot is essential (especially if you want it to look like the picture! The dish tasted fabulous. I ate it with tortillas with some cilantro on top. Some of my friends just ate the meat with nothing else.
Delicous! Will make again
Can I set it at high for half the time?
Pork belly isn’t weird!!! A huge un-sliced portion of bacon is always a good thing!!! Plus, pretty much all types of pork are amazing!!
I made this and it was fantastic! I am posting it today and linking back to you – thanks for sharing this easy slow cooker recipe!
Thanks Danielle!
O.M.G!!! This is a perfect recipe! I’ve been meaning to make this for months and kept forgetting. While digging around in the freezer, I found the pork shoulder and remembered the recipe. Busy week this week, so I thought I would have some good leftovers to stretch through a couple of nights. My husband (Mexican-American) LOVED this and cannot stop raving – and he’s very particular about his carnitas. We had almost no leftovers! The broiling part was pure genius! Why have I never thought of this with crockpot meat??
Thank you! I will share on my blog (CookingRipe.com)
That is awesome! Thanks Betsie!
I make this waaaaayyyyy too often. Well, not often enough if you ask me but more than a normal person would….. Maybe. It’s soooooo good! I love it in taco shells, tortillas, bread…. Plain, straight up with a fork in hand. Delish!
So do we! It’s one of Bjork’s favorites!
Glad you like it!
We made this tonight and with a few small substitutions with spices it came out AMAZING! Love me some pork; Love my crock pot … A match made in heaven!
P.S. I read somewhere to use the paddles on a Kitchen Aid stand mixer to shred meat. I don’t have one so I just put all the meat in a big bowl and used a regular hand mixer. In less than 30 seconds all the meat was shredded!
Wow – interesting idea! I’ve never heard that before.
For those who are not sure, porkbellies are the “bacon” (think abs if they did crunches)part of the pork (without the salt brining and smoking necessary to turn the bellies into bacon). Lots of fatty meat, and lots of flavor.
Found your recipe on Pinterest. Thought you were HILARIOUS and an entertaining writer so I thought I could trust you with something as precious as carnitas. Ummmm, I was right. These were THE BEST I’ve ever had. I’ve passed the recipe on to a friend who is Mexican and she agreed and also passed it on to several family members in California. I’m making it tomorrow night for a neighborhood block party and am hoping there are leftovers so I can make the tamale pie, but im guessing there wont be once my carnivorous neighbours get a whiff of this cooking. I followed your recipe exactly and see no reason for any changes. Bravo. I’m a new follower of your blog and applaud you for what you are doing in the Philippines.
Thanks Kristyn! I’m glad you all liked it! This recipe is one of my faves.
Just took this out of the crock pot and getting ready to put it in the broiler! The house smell fantastic! I can hardly wait to try it! I get way to excited when it comes to pork, lol!
I can’t wait to make these for my man!!! It will be a couple of months because he’s on deployment right now but I can’t wait to see his face when he walks in the house and smells this! He’s Cuban and being fed by the Navy is killing him because it lacks daily pork, beans, and rice.
My husband and I just finished eating this for dinner, and it was AMAZING!!! Thanks so much for posting it! I can’t wait to use the leftovers for something else.