If you don’t have a slow cooker I think this recipe alone is worth the $25 or $30 investment (we use this basic, inexpensive slow cooker). We have tested these pork tacos on quite a lot of people (including our dinner club guests), and it gets rave reviews every time! I’ve also already shared another slow cooker favorite of ours “The Best Whole Chicken in a Crock Pot,” which can easily be turned into overnight homemade chicken stock. There is no better way than a slow cooker to make inexpensive cuts of meat delish.
- 2 to 2 ½ lbs pork shoulder or Boston butt roast, cut into 5 or 6 small pieces (in Charlotte we use pork from Grateful Growers Farm, which is sold at the Matthews Farmers’ Market and Hillbilly Produce)
- 3 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 onion, cut into 6 or 8 chunks
- 3 garlic cloves, whole
- 1 recipe tomatillo salsa (use recipe below or can be purchased at Trader Joe’s)
- 1 ½ recipes whole-grain corn tortillas
- 2 avocados, sliced
- Fresh cilantro
- Mix together oregano, pepper, salt, and cumin and rub on outside of pork pieces in bottom of slow cooker.
- Throw onion and garlic on top of pork.
- Slow cook on low for 6 – 8 hours or until meat is falling apart.
- When finished discard the onion and garlic. Drain meat and shred with a fork.
- Serve warm with tortillas, tomatillo salsa, avocados and cilantro.
- 1 ½ lbs tomatillos (they look like little green tomatoes with husks around them)
- ½ cup white onion
- ¾ cup cilantro leaves
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1 jalapeno or serrano pepper, seeded and roughly chopped
- Preheat broiler on high.
- Peel and discard husks off tomatillos. Rinse and cut tomatillos in half. Place cut side down on foil or parchment lined baking sheet. Broil for 5 – 7 minutes until skin is lightly blackened.
- Puree tomatillos and rest of ingredients together including onion, cilantro, lime, and pepper using a food processor, blender, or hand immersion blender until ingredients are finely chopped and mixed.
- Cool in refrigerator until ready to serve.
In other news: Check out my weekly newspaper column in some of today’s papers including the Miami Herald. Today’s article details one of our first “broken rules” that occurred during our original 100 Days of Real Food pledge. If you like it please click “like” next to the article title: “Traveling during a real food pledge – Part II”[/donotprint]
[...] recipe from 100 days of real food [...]
These are absolutely the best! My family devoured them and I went back to the farmers market to get a larger Boston butt so I could make them again. Thank you so much for all your wonderful recipes and the great information (even the hard to hear stuff like Chick-fil-a is no better than any other fast food!) to help figure out the best foods to feed my family.
Yum! Made it using pork shoulder from my meat CSA. Delicious!
[...] Find the recipe here. [...]
Just made the carnitas! I had to alter it slightly…used pork sirloin tip roast (that’s what was at costco, unless I wanted to buy 14 pounds of pork shoulder!). I didn’t cut it up, just put it in there whole. IT IS DELICIOUS!! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Help! Do I use a whole 16oz jar of tomatillo sauCe?
Hi Tamara. The salsa is used as a garnish for serving, so, you can use as much or little as you like. Jill
[...] is it? Pork carnitas tacos with homemade tomatillo sauce. Served with avocado, rice and refried [...]
Oh these are delicious! THANKS!
I’d really love to make this as a freezer meal (I’m about to have a baby). Would it be better if I put if I did the rub on the pork and froze it to dump in the crockpot for later, or cooked it completely and then froze it? Or….neither?
Hi Nicole. I would probably cook it and then freeze it. Jill
how long will the tomatillo salsa keep?
Hi Star. I would say it should keep in the refrigerator for a week or so. Jill
[...] adapted from: 100daysofrealfood.com Share this:ShareEmailPrintDiggFacebookTwitterLike this:LikeBe the first to like [...]
[...] but I forgot to post the salsa recipe!!! Here is that wonderful recipe that I found on 100daysofrealfood.com. I’ve always seen tomatillos in the grocery store but they have always intimidated me, I mean [...]
We’re not fans of Cilantro. Can it just be left out of the Salsa or, since there is so much of it in the recipe, should we substitute something else?
BTW: Love your site. The menus and recipes are fantastic!
Hi Cinda. I think I would just leave it out. Of course if there is another spice you like, you can always substitute that. Jill
[...] Recipe from http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/08/01/recipe-pork-carnitas-tacos-with-tomatillo-salsa/ [...]
[...] love the recipe from 100 Days Of Real Food for the Pork Carnitas Tacos with Tomatillo Salsa. I planned to make that for dinner tonight but when I was at Trader Joe’s this week they [...]
Made this the other day and they were FANTASTIC!!! I am making my own “chipotle” style bowl with quinoa and the left over carnitas, the tomatillo salsa, sour cream, tomatoes, cheese and guacamole. So looking forward to dinner tonight!
Do you put any liquid in the slow cooker with this?
Hi Bryan. You do not need to add liquid. ~Amy