Slow Cooker Stout Carnitas

Little Meats, Big Flavor

You know how when you are on a street lined with food trucks, or with carts of street foods, the smells just draw you in? That’s what happens when you cook these Slow Cooker Stout Carnitas!

Carnitas are one of my favorite Mexican dishes. Seasoned pork, tender and juicy with a hint of crispiness on the caramelized edges…oh my!

Carnitas literally means “little meats” in Spanish, but these Slow Cooker Stout Carnitas deliver big flavor. They are traditionally made with a butt or shoulder pork roast which is braised or simmered in oil or lard for hours, then the edges are crisped up at the end of cooking.

Like most of you I think, I don’t typically cook with lard, but this recipe lets you get that tender juiciness, and a deep richness from the stout.

The Best Things About Slow Cooker Carnitas?

Because Carnitas can be made ahead of time, they are perfect for a large group or easy party fixin’s. They also freeze really well, so you can make a big batch and split it up. Ideal in tacos, burritos, tamales, flautas, salads…you can’t go wrong!

And Carnitas are perfect just as they are (like me, you might be too full to eat dinner if you start picking from the serving plate!) Add some tortillas or chips and the beverage of your choice and you have a party!

“Trust me, you can dance.” – Margaritas

Making These Easy Carnitas

Simply rub the roast with a mix of brown sugar, dried oregano, cumin, salt, pepper and sear all sides in a hot pan to seal in the juices and get that beautiful color. Put chopped onion, jalapenos, and garlic in the bottom of your slow cooker, put the roast on top, then pour one bottle of stout around the roast. Cover and cook on high for four hours, or on low for 6-8 hours.

Take the roast out of the slow cooker and use two forks to shred the meat, or channel your inner wolverine and use my favorite meat shredding tool, Bear Paws. (Read about them here). When the meat is shredded, add it in batches to a hot skillet with a small amount of braising liquid from the slow cooker, and cook until the edges just start to caramelize and crisp up (don’t skip this step!). Remove from heat.

For these amazing tacos we served Slow Cooker Stout Carnitas with Pineapple Lime Slaw and Sriracha Mayonnaise, but the sky’s the limit on where you can take this dish! The spices start the game, but the rich wheatiness of the stout adds a surprising depth of flavor that takes this over the goal line.

Tell me in the comments below how you would serve these amazing Carnitas, and don’t forget to subscribe while you’re here!

Michele

Print

Slow Cooker Stout Carnitas

Tender and juicy pork with carmelized bits, made even better with rich stout and the ease of a slow cooker. Finish with your favorite crunchy toppings!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 4 hours 20 minutes

Total Time 4 hours 30 minutes

Servings 10 servings

Author Michele

Ingredients

Rub Ingredients

• 2 tbsp dried oregano
• 2 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tbsp brown sugar

Other Ingredients

• 3.5 – 4 lb. Pork Butt or Shoulder Roast
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion – chopped
• 3 cloves garlic – minced
• 1 jalapeno – seeded and chopped
• 1 bottle stout

Instructions

1. Mix rub ingredients together, then rub over the entire roast.

2. Add 1 tbsp olive oil to a skillet and heat on medium high. Sear all sides of roast (about a minute on each side) to seal in the juices and give it color.

3. Place onions, garlic and jalapeno in slow cooker. Top with seared roast, then pour bottle of stout in the cooker around the roast.

4. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours, or on low for 8 hours. Pork should be tender enough to shred.

5. Remove from cooker and let cool slightly. Shred roast using two forks.

6. Heat remaining olive oil in a large skillet on high heat. Spread pork in pan in batches so as not to overcrowd the pan. Drizzle some of the juices from the slow cooker over the meat and let cook for a few minutes, until liquid is absorbed and meat has some crispy edges. Turn and sear briefly, then remove from pan (don't over cook or it will dry out). Repeat with the remaining batches of meat. Drizzle more juice over meat if desired.

Recipe Notes

Serve in tacos, burritos, flautas, tamales, salad…use your imagination.