Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas with Avocado, Chioptle, and Orange Crema

A few weeks ago a friend from Texas sent me a package of goodies from her State which included some amazing chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, and Rotel tomatoes (an awesome product you can't buy in Canada). Wanting to do those ingredients justice, I came up with the following recipe for Carnitas, which if I do say so myself, is pretty darned incredible.

Best of all, it cooks in the crock pot, freeing you up to enjoy the day and head to the beach!

Visit the printable recipe here: Pork Carnitas

Or visit me in the Kitchen Witch cottage (and the beaches of Vancouver Island) and make it with me! The video will teach step by step instructions so that you can create this wonderful recipe for Pork Carnitas too!




Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 8 hours
Serves: 8-10

Ingredients

• 8 pork chops (about 1 1/4-inch thick, bone in or a 2 lb boneless pork shoulder)
• 1 canned chipotle chile in adobo, chopped
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning or dried oregano
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1, 10 oz (283 gram) tin of Rotel Diced Tomatoes with Lime and Cilantro or 1 1/4 cups tomato salsa
• 2 heaping tbsp frozen orange juice concentrate
• 1/2 teaspoon salt1 thinly sliced purple onion
• Soft taco size (6 inch) corn or flour tortillas

Directions

1. Prepare your slow cooker with cooking spray or oil. Place the pork chops into the slow cooker
2. Mix the chipotle, oregano, garlic, olive oil, tomatoes, orange juice, and salt together and pour over the pork
3. Cook on low setting for 8 hours.
4. Remove from the slow cooker and shred. 
5. Add a cup of the broth from the slow cooker to the shredded pork and toss so that it covers all the meat.
6. Place the shredded pork onto a 17 inch baking sheet. Place your oven rack the second from the top and broil the pork until one side is golden brown and crispy (about 2 minutes)

Avocado, Chipotle, and Orange Crema

• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 ripe avocado, cubed
• 1 heaping tbsp orange juice concentrate
• 1 chile from a 7 oz. can chipotle in adobo sauce (if you like less heat, start with a tbsp of the chipotle pepper and keep adding until it tastes right for you)
• pinch of salt

Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until smooth. Refrigerate until served.

This dish is great for parties and casual dining. Serve the pork, onions, sauce, and tortillas family style and invite people to help themselves.

 About Lyndsay the Kitchen Witch

Lyndsay Wells is a professional trainer, writer, and program developer with a passion for food and cooking. She is an award winning recipe developer, and a website ambassador for Kraft Foods Canada. Lyndsay believes cooking should be approachable and easy and has great tips and ideas for putting together sophisticated looking dishes that cooks of all levels can accomplish.

Visit her on her blog, The Kitchen Witch or on her YouTube Channel where she puts out three new cooking videos each week.