Crispy Slow Cooker Carnitas

My slow cooker is probably one of the most underutilized tools in my kitchen. (Side note: do you call yours a slow cooker or Crock Pot? Growing up, it was always referred to as a Crock Pot even if it wasn’t the brand. Then again, I’m from Alabama and grew up calling most soda beverages Coke.) Every time I use it, I think “Why the heck don’t I use this more often?” Having a meal cook itself while I’m doing something else like playing with Clara (or reading her Pride and Prejudice board book to her for the 16th time) is a total win.

A long time ago, I assumed all slow cooker meals involved a bunch of ingredients thrown into a vessel and cooked into some agglomeration of things that don’t belong together. I don’t know what gave me that idea, but I’m glad I discovered how awesome slow cooker meals are. Take this recipe, for example. The pork is cut and seared. Onion, beer and spices are added, and you end up with flavorful, juicy pork that is so tender it practically shreds itself. It cooks while you’re doing other things, and it makes your house smell fantastic. All of that for the small amount of effort it took to chop and sear.

We’ve been making these carnitas for several months now, yet I’m still finding new ways to use them. Our favorite way is to serve them on corn tortillas with diced onion, fresh cilantro and a generous squeeze of lime juice. This pork is also fantastic as part of DIY burrito bowls, on top of nachos, mixed with barbecue sauce and served on buns, in place of chicken as filling for taquitos, on top of a loaded baked potato. You get my point. Heck, I bet you could even serve these carnitas on top of scrambled eggs with pepper jack cheese and have a fantastic breakfast.