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”]

1. Combine all spices except bay leaves in a small bowl and mix well.
2. Rub spice mixture over all sides of pork shoulder.
3. Place pork in a large crockpot and pour beer over the top. Throw bay leaves into the liquid.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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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If I had it my way, I would eat Mexican food for every meal. I can never get enough of the comforting, spicy cuisine.

This recipes is one my favorites — my parents have been making it for years. It’s easy, healthy and makes enough meat to feed an army. They threw this in the crockpot when they were visiting over the weekend and I was busy at work — nothing is better than coming home to a house that smells like carnitas and a meal that’s ready to eat.

You can use this meat in pretty much any Mexican dish. My favorite way to serve it is in charred tortillas, topped with guacamole, mango habanero salsa and fresh tomatoes.  The leftovers are great for topping salads, baked potatoes and sandwiches throughout the week.

Throwing this in the crockpot on a lazy Sunday makes meal prep on weekdays so easy!

Slow-Cooker Pork Carnitas

Ingredients:

• 1 3-4 lb. pork shoulder, trimmed
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 Tbsp. Kosher salt
• 1 Tbsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. smoked paprika
• 1 tsp. coriander
• 2 tsp. Mexican oregano (you can also use normal oregano)
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 2 whole bay leaves

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, mix salt, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, smoked paprika, coriander, oregano and cinnamon.
2. Rub pork all over with spice rub.
3. Place pork, broth and bay leaves in a large slow cooker. Cook on high for one hour and then on low for four hours, or until the pork shreds easily (no more than eight hours).
4. Remove the pork from the slow cooker and shred using two forks. Discard bay leaves.
5. Return pork to crockpot and mix with cooking liquid. Serve immediately.

The post Slow-Cooker Pork Carnitas appeared first on The Broadcasting Baker.