Mexican Pork Carnitas (Slow Cooker Meal)

I love tacos. And I love experimenting with different kinds of tacos. So, when I came across the Mexican Pork Carnitas in my "Everything Slow Cooker Cookbook" (Margaret Kaeter, 2002), I really wanted to try them. One little problem:  B is not a fan of pork or non-basic tacos. But, I showed him the recipe and asked what he thought. I equated it to something you might get at Chipotle. He took the bait and, as luck would have it, Pork Butt Roast was on sale at a local store, so were in business.

This was a perfect meal to throw in the slow cooker on a Sunday for Sunday night dinner and there were PLENTY of leftovers for later meals. As a matter of fact, we've already had two dinners out of it and still enough for one more. What I do NOT have, however, are pictures. Two meals and I didn't manage to grab the camera either time!

Mexican Pork Carnitas

• 4 garlic cloves
• 2 to 4-pound pork butt roast
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro
• 1 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 (12-oz.) can or bottle of lager beer

1. Peel and slice the garlic cloves about 1/8-in. thick. Using a sharp paring knife, cut slices into the butt roast and insert the garlic cloves, one slice in each opening. Place the butt roast in the slow cooker.
2. Chop  the cilantro into 1/4-in. lengths. Place the cilantro and jalapeno pepper on top of the butt roast. Pour the beer over the top and cook on high setting for 4 to 6 hours. Remove the meat and shred it. Discard the jalapeno pepper and cilantro.

Serving suggestion: Steam corn tortillas by placing them in the microwave with a cup of water and cooking on high for 20 seconds. Ladle meat into the tortillas and top with chopped tomatoes and onions.

Sissy's Variation:
So, remember how I said the pork butt roast was on sale? Yeah, such a good sale that they were sold out by the time I got there. Because I needed to hurry and get the meat in the slow cooker in order to actually eat it that night, I could not go to another store. So, I bought another type of pork roast (sorry, I originally cooked this nearly two weeks ago and B went into the hospital three days later for a week, so I've completley forgotten what kind). I knew when I bought it that this roast would turn out a bit different, and it did. It was more dry than it was supposed to be, but still really good. I cut the roast in half because it was pretty big. I also used two jalapenos and a bunch and a half of cilantro because the called for amount seemed too little to me for the amount of meat. I think it worked out for the best--good flavor.

Also, I did serve it as tacos, but not just with tomatoes and onions. I added a small amout of salsa verde (not homemade this time), sour cream, and Monterrey Jack cheese. For the second dinner, I had avocado instead of sour cream. I think I liked the avocado better!