By Emily Malloy

Despite my love for cooking and entertaining, I only have a handful of dishes that I utilize as go-tos when feeding a crowd, whether it be for a football game, dinner with friends, a meal train, or honestly, simply a Wednesday night. There are so many great foods out there to experiment with and enjoy! However, this recipe really stands apart. 

And for good reason.  

It has a fun blend of flavor and texture: the freshness of the citrus, the boldness of the onions, and that crisp finish on the pork from broiling.

I have made this many ways over the years, but a whole new level of tenderness came after I poured some lager into the crockpot before cooking. (If you are opting for something gluten-free, substitute this for 1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar and 1/2 cup of chicken broth). 

I hope this dish becomes a beloved go-to for you, as well! 

Pulled Pork Carnitas
Time: 8+ hours
Yields: 12+ servings

Ingredients: 
2-3 tablespoons of butter
9-10 lbs bone-in pork butt or shoulder, cut into 3" cubes
1 1/2 cup orange juice
Zest from 1 orange
3 tablespoons of lime juice
Zest from 1 lime
1 tablespoon of black pepper
1 red onion, diced
1 can of lager beer (or 1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar and 1/2 cup of chicken broth for gluten-free) 
1/2 cup scallions, chopped

Drizzling sauce:
1/2 cup of chopped cilantro
1/2 cup of lime juice
1/2 cup of orange juice
1 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:
1. Prepare the slow cooker with olive oil or cooking spray.
2. Heat the butter in a large skillet and brown the cubed pork on all sides in batches and set aside. 
3. After all of the pork is browned, place it into the slow cooker. 
4. Add all remaining ingredients to the slow cooker and stir until well-combined, except for the scallions and ingredients for the drizzling sauce.
5. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours (my personal preference is for low and slow as so much more flavor is imparted upon the meat). 
6. Remove the pork from the slow cooker and shred with a fork and place on a baking sheet and drizzle with 1/2 cup of the remaining juices.. 
7. Turn on the broiler setting of your oven to high with the oven rack placed half way down the oven. Broil the pork for 3-5 minutes (keeping a watchful eye) until nicely browned and crisp. My family loves this crispness, so I often stir the pork on the baking sheet and broil for another 3-5 minutes to ensure more meat is crisp! 
8. Whisk together the ingredients for the drizzling sauce. Drizzle over the pulled pork and top with chopped scallions!
9. Our favorite ways to serve this: over baked sweet potatoes, on a brioche roll, in a tortilla, on a bed of salad, or even alone!

Printable recipe can be found here!