May 3, 2017
If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be? Street tacos? Me too!
The one thing I miss about living in Nebraska is our favorite taco joint. When Will was living in Lincoln during law school, we found this hole in the wall Mexican joint that sold the best steak tacos. The smell of homemade corn tortillas when taking your first bite was like heaven on earth. I don’t think we spoke a word to each other during the first meal we had there, both of us were in a full on taco daze. A year after moving, we still talk about that place. If you are ever in Lincoln, NE, hit up El Toro & order the steak tacos. Tell them Alex & Will sent you, although that likely means nothing.
I’m sharing this Cinco De Mayo inspired recipes for all my May Whole30-ers out there. You may not be able to have a margarita but you can at least have some tacos & a lime La Croix, if I have any say in the matter. Whole30 or not, this Pork Carnitas recipe is king. On the Whole30, I’ll eat these over cauliflower rice (or on my sweet potato taco bowl), OR in bibb lettuce leaves (pictured below).
When I’m not doing Whole30 Siete Tortillas are a great paleo friendly tortilla, but these carnitas are good enough to eat straight from the pan (and trust me, it’s happened).
Happy Cindo De Mayo everyone! May the carnitas be crispy & the margaritas (or La Croix) be cold!
Use the leftovers to make my Paleo Crispy Pork Nachos
Ingredients
- Pork Carnitas
- 4 LBS Pork Shoulder/Butt
- 1 Tsp Salt
- 3/4 C Orange Juice (check labels for sugar free!)
- 1 C water or chicken Broth
- 1/4 C lime juice (1 lime squeezed)
- 4 cloves garlic Minced
- 1 Tbps chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 diced jalapeno (seeds removed or added for heat levels)
- Cilantro Lime Slaw
- 1 bag (10-14 oz) Coleslaw mix
- 1/2 c Mayo (Whole30 compliant or homemade)
- 2 tsp lime juice
- 1/4 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 c chopped cilantro
- Optional: 1 diced jalapeno (seeds removed or added for heat levels)
- Optional Garnishes
- Red Onions
- Cilantro
- Salsa
- Avocado (see additional recipe below for Avocado Drizzle)
- Lime
- Avocado Drizzle
- 1/4 olive oil
- 1/2 Avocado
- 1/4 Tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 Tsp Lime Juice
- 1 Tbsp Cilantro
Instructions
- Trim fat from pork & season with salt.
- Cut pork into 2-4 pieces to fit more comfortably into your slow cooker.
- Add all ingredients to the slow cooker and stir to combine liquid & seasonings
- Cook on Low for 6-8 Hours or High for 4-6.
- Remove the pork from liquid & set aside to cool before shredding & removing any additional fat.
- After shredding, place onto a baking sheet. Take 1/4 cup liquid from slow cooker and mix into the pork on the baking sheet.
- Broil in oven for 4-6 minutes. Repeat by adding an additional 1/4 c of liquid & broil for another 4-6 minutes or until crispy.
- Enjoy the carnitas in tacos, burrito bowls or by itself. Garnish with coleslaw or any toppings
- Jalapeno Cilantro Slaw
- Add all ingredients to a bowl & mix. For best results, allow to marinate in fridge for at least 1 hour before serving (overnight is better)
- Avocado Drizzle
- Place all ingredients into a food processor or use an emulsion blender to mix. Serve immediately.
- Use the leftovers to make my Paleo Crispy Pork Nachos
Ellie | Hungry by Nature
ok ok ok – these look PHENOMENAL. nothing makes me happier than crispy carnitas, except maybe a margarita… 😉