Blood Orange Pork Carnitas

This recipe is very kid-friendly and made with all whole-food ingredients.  You can use it for tacos, fajitas, or salads.  I usually cook at least 4-6 lbs., since we can happily eat it 2 or 3 times within the span of a week.  It also freezes and defrosts very well, so it’s easy to make ahead of time for a citrus-themed party or other event. 

I recommend sourcing your pork from a farmer that raises his pork in sunshine and on pasture.  I also recommend using organic produce and spices when affordable. We like to buy whole peppercorns and whole coriander seeds and grind them fresh.  Cooking the pork bone-in without trimming the fat does wonderful things to make the nutrients in the meat more bioavailable!

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Blood Orange Pork Carnitas

Caroline

A citrus-focused, melt-in-your-mouth, slow-cooked pork dish, perfect for special occasions and weeknight meals alike!

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Prep Time 45 minutes mins

Cook Time 8 hours hrs

Total Time 8 hours hrs 45 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Servings 10 people

Equipment

• crockpot/slow cooker
• medium cutting board
• Chef's knife
• manual citrus press

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 4-6 lbs bone-in pork shoulder roast
• 2 tbsp cumin
• 1 tbsp mineral salt
• 2 tsp rainbow peppercorns
• 2 tsp oregano
• 2 tsp coriander
• 3-4 red onions
• 2 whole bulbs of garlic
• 1 grapefruit
• 2 lemons
• 2 limes
• 3-4 blood oranges

Instructions

 

• Rinse and dry pork shoulder, then place it in the slow cooker.
  
• Peel garlic and slice red onion; scatter atop roast.
  
• Grind peppercorns; dust roast with salt, pepper, cumin, and oregano.
  
• Zest and juice grapefruit, lemons, limes, and 2 blood oranges.
  
• Add zest and juices to roast; add flesh of blood oranges.
  
• Place lid on the slow cooker, and cook on low for 8-10 hours.
  
• After cooking, remove the bones and reserve for bone broth. Shred the meat, if desired.
  
• Serve with avocado, red sauerkraut, and microgreens.
  

Notes

If your pork is responsibly raised, there is excellent nutrition in both the bones and the fat of this dish.  I save the bones to make bone broth and let the fat gather into a top layer in the refrigerator overnight. I then scoop it out by the spoonful into a separate container to use for frying or roasting.  This leaves enough fat in the dish to make it delectable and provides us with extra cooking fat for about a week!

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This is one of our family’s absolute favorite recipes for both winter and summer meals. Try pairing it with fresh tomatoes or spicy peppers from your garden, fresh cilantro, roasted summer squash, red sauerkraut, or fermented pickles!