The further I get in my pregnancy the more my slow cooker has come to my rescue!

Standing in the kitchen for an extended period of time really isn’t fun at 8 months pregnant. These days I need easy meals that take little time on my feet to prepare and even less to serve. Bonus points if there are leftovers (that’s one less night of cooking)!

We have family visiting us from out-of-town and I knew I needed something tasty, but I also needed enough to feed everyone. This is one of the biggest perks of using a slow cooker…it really holds a lot of food!

This recipe is so simple and you can switch up the protein from pork to chicken or beef whenever you’re in the mood for a little something different.

To start, rub pork tenderloin with cumin, salt and pepper and then cut into quarters. Place pork in the slow cooker and top with salsa. Toss in onion and garlic and mix together. Squeeze lime over mixture and cover. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Once the pork is cooked, turn the slow cooker to warm, take 2 forks and shred the meat in the slow cooker.

Chop cilantro, tomatoes and avocado, shred cheese and warm corn tortillas in dry pan over medium heat.

My favorite way to serve this is buffet style. Line up all the goodies next to the slow cooker and let the taco fun begin! You can serve with a side of rice and beans or top with more salsa and sour cream. Whatever you choose, I’m sure it will be a fun family dinner that everyone will enjoy.

Pork Carnitas

Serves 8

Ingredients:

• 2.5 pounds pork tenderloin or pork shoulder
• 2-4 tsp cumin
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 cups fresh salsa (click here to make your own chunky salsa)
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 lime, juiced
• corn tortillas

Optional Toppings:

• 1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 cup manchego, shredded
• 3 vine tomatoes, diced
• 2-3 avocados, cubed

Directions:

1. Rub pork with cumin, salt and pepper on all sides and cut into quarters.
2. Place pork in slow cooker and top with 2 cups salsa, diced onion and garlic. Mix well.
3. Squeeze lime juice over mixture and cover. Cook on low 6-8 hours.
4. Once pork is cooked through, turn slow cooker to warm and shred pork with 2 forks (inside slow cooker).
5. Warm corn tortillas in dry pan over medium heat.
6. Place toppings, along with pork and tortillas on table and let everyone make their own pork carnitas!

Comments

comments