Pork Carnitas

If you are a fan of pulled pork, then this is a must try!  We are BIG fans of this recipe.  So yummy!!!  The toddler was asking for "more meat" while the baby was shoving it in her mouth faster than we could give it to her and grunting for more.  Hilarious!  Anyway, this one will become a regular.

I followed the original recipe as it was written, only I took the seeds out from the peppers so it wouldn't be too spicy for my little ones.  If you like spicy, then leave them in.  I could only find a bone-in pork shoulder at the grocery store, so I asked my butcher to remove the bone, fat, and skin from the piece of meat so I didn't have to do it myself.

Here's the link the the original recipe, http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/pork-carnitas-50400000124223/

I served my pork a little differently than suggested in the recipe.  I made a cross between a burrito bowl and a salad.  I layered about 2 cups of romaine lettuce, 1/4 cup cilantro lime rice , 1/4 cup black beans, 1/2 cup carnitas, 2 T shredded cheddar, 2 T salsa, 1 T each of light sour cream and guacamole. 

Below is a quick rundown of the beans and rice:

Cuban Black Beans: 1 can of black beans with liquid, 1 bay leaf, 1/4 tsp each garlic & onion powder. Pour all ingredients into small sauce pan and simmer on low for 40-60min or until thickens), 

Cilantro lime brown rice: I used the rice & water measurements specific to my rice cooker, but if you are cooking the rice in a pan, follow the directions on the package. Then just add the juice of one lime and salt to water and follow the package instructions. Add the chopped fresh cilantro at the end.

More pictures of the pork below.  I hope you enjoy it as much as my family did.  Happy Cooking!
Sarah

Here's what the pork looks like after it cooks (I cooked it on high for 5-6 hours).  It was just falling apart.  Yum!

And here's what it looks like all shredded up.

Eat up!