Upland’s Campside Session IPA complements the pork’s natural flavors and helps cut the spiciness of the rub. Of course, make sure you have extra bottles on hand to wash these tacos down with!
There’s nothing better after a long day than coming home to the smell of a homemade dinner. When I know I have a hectic work week ahead, I try to plan at least one or two crockpot meals so I don’t have to stress about what to cook for dinner once I get home. These carnitas are my new go-to recipe for crazy weeknights.
I’m not a fan of crockpot recipes that require a lot of prep. I don’t want to have to fuss with searing the meat on all sides before throwing it into the crockpot or cooking other ingredients separately before combining everything. It takes the convenience away! The only prep this recipe requires is trimming the fat off the pork and smothering it in a delicious rub. Then, you throw it in the crockpot for a few hours and don’t touch it again until you’re ready to eat. It doesn’t get much easier!
Upland’s Campside is a Session IPA I can really get behind. I’m not usually a huge fan of this style, but this brew packs a big enough hoppy punch for my liking without the citrus notes being too overpowering. While my favorite way to consume it is in a pint glass, I’ve been dying to try cooking with this beer because of its versatility. Oh my goodness. The beer really kicked the flavor of these carnitas up a notch. We ate the pork in tacos, but I’m dreaming of Campside carnita nachos, quesadillas and even pizza.
I whipped these up as part of our family’s ongoing celebration of Bloomington Craft Beer Week. How are you celebrating?
Campside Crockpot Carnitas
[ingredients title=”Ingredients”]
- 3 to 4 lb. pork shoulder, trimmed of most fat
- 1 Tbsp. Kosher salt
- 1 Tbsp. garlic powder
- 1 Tbsp. smoked paprika
- 2 tsp. ground cumin
- 2 tsp. oregano
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- 2 bay leaves
- 8 oz. Upland Campside Session IPA
- 10 whole wheat tortillas
- 1 avocado, diced
- 1/2 cup extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- Sour cream and salsa for topping
[/ingredients]
[directions title=”Directions”]
- Combine all spices except bay leaves in a small bowl and mix well.
- Rub spice mixture over all sides of pork shoulder.
- Place pork in a large crockpot and pour beer over the top. Throw bay leaves into the liquid.
- Cover crockpot and cook pork on high for one hour. Reduce cooking temperature to low and cook for at least four more hours but no longer than eight hours.
- Once pork is cooked, remove it from the crockpot and shred using two forks. Return shredded pork to the crockpot and stir until moistened with cooking liquid.
- Using a slotted spoon to drain any extra liquid, place 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup pork on a tortilla. Top with 1 Tbsp. cheese, avocado, sour cream and salsa. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
[/directions]
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