Crockpot Carnitas Burrito Rice Bowl - Still On Healthy Trend....Or Semi-Healthy Trend Anyway

I had been craving slow cooker carnitas, and had a pork shoulder roast from the Used Meat aisle staring me in the face, begging me to use it. Into cart it when, and then later into slow cooker.

While nothing beats the traditional method of preparing carnitas, with slow braising and then frying, this recipe gives you the taste of traditional carnitas with a lot less work. After slow cooking and shredding, you could drain the pork and fry it on the stove top to give it a brown crust if you prefer.

To keep this on the Semi-Healthy side of life, rice steps in for the tortillas, with the Pico de Gallo adding crunch and color.

Mangia!


Crockpot Carnitas Burrito Rice Bowl

Adapted from Half Baked Harvest

Carnitas

5-6 pounds pork shoulder roast (or butt)

1 tablespoons canola oil

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoons smoked paprika

1/2 tablespoon cumin

1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder

2 teaspoons chipotle chili powder

1 teaspoon oregano

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

2 teaspoons chili powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 (12 ounce) Mexican beer

1/2 cup orange juice

2 limes, juiced

1 large or 2 small chipotle chiles in adobo, minced

Rice

3 cups cooked rice

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1 lime, juiced

Pico De Gallo

2 cups tom tom or cherry tomatoes, chopped

1/2 medium sweet onion, finely chopped

1 jalapeno, ribs and seeds removed, finely chopped

Other Toppings

1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled and cut into small cubes

1 lime, juiced

3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Shredded cheddar cheese

pinch of sugar

pinch of salt

Begin with the Carnitas. Combine seasonings (salt, pepper, smoked paprika, cumin, onion powder, chipotle chili powder, oregano, cayenne, chili powder, garlic powder) together in a bowl and mix until combined. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add oil. Rub the pork all over with a about 1/3 of the seasonings. Once hot, add pork and sear on all sides until golden brown (about 2 minutes per side).Add pork to the crockpot and sprinkle with remaining seasonings all over. Pour in beer, orange juice, lime juice and chipotle chilies, then cook on low for 10-12 hours. Check once or twice if possible.

 Before serving, use forks or kitchen tongs to shred pork in the crock pot. Mix to combine with the remaining liquid in the crockpot. Keep warm until ready to use.

For the pico de gallo, in a small bowl, mix 1 teaspoon salt with the pinch of sugar. In a medium bowl, toss the tomatoes gently with the salt mixture. Add onion, jalapeno, lime juice and cilantro and combine.

Toss the rice, the cilantro and lime juice. Keep warm. To assemble divide the rice evenly among 4 bowls. Top with some of the pico de gallo and shredded lettuce and then add the warm carnitas. Sprinkle on the cheese, and add some avocado slices on top. Finish with the chopped cilantro.