Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas

Night week. The week when the husband goes to work later than normal and comes home way later than normal, missing what should be a typical dinner time. Typical dinner time during pilot training could range anywhere from 5:00 to 8:00. That's normal. But during weeks like this, dinner time is pretty much non-existent. Unless you call eating dinner at 9:30, dinnertime. For someone to loves to cook, its hard not knowing when your husband is coming home and when to have dinner ready. Sometimes you have to just make your dinner and put his in the refrigerator until he gets home. Sometimes you don't make dinner at all because you don't feel like making dinner for just one person. And sometimes you have to rely on your slow cooker.  

Yesterday, I decided to make pork carnitas in the slow cooker. I didn't have to start dinner until the afternoon for it to be ready when my pilot got home.  It cooked on high for hours and low for hours before he was home and we were ready to eat. Typically, I would have ate before he walked in the door but for this meal, I wanted to enjoy it together as I thought it was going to be a five-star meal. It was delicious!

Let me apologize in advance for the absence of a picture.. because it was so late when we finally ate dinner, taking a picture slipped my mind until after we were done eating.  The leftovers in the bowl wouldn't have done the meal justice.

Slow-Cooked Carnitas

1 boneless pork shoulder (3 to 4 lbs) 

2 tsp. olive oil 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1/2 teaspoon pepper 

1 bunch green onions, chopped 

1 1/2 cups minced fresh cilantro 

1 cup salsa

1/2 cup chicken broth 

1/2 cup tequila or chicken broth 

2 cans chopped green chilies 

12 flour tortillas, warmed 

Desired toppings 

1. Cut roast in half; place in 5 qt. slow cooker. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add the onions, cilantro, salsa, broth, tequila, and chilies. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until meat is tender. 

2. Remove meat; cooled slightly. Shred with two forks and return to slow cooker; heat through. Spoon about 2/3 meat mixture onto each tortilla; serve with toppings of you choice.

Recipe from Taste of Home (April/May 2011)