Some people live and die by their slow cooker and others, like me, need to be reminded to use it. This is one of those recipes that reminds you how great your slow cooker is and to use it more. Plus, as we are in the midst of a crazy busy month, May, this recipe makes a great dinner (we suggest serving with black beans, rice, guacamole and corn tortillas) or a tasty variation on BBQ for any gathering that you are hosting.
This recipe is fairly simple and makes plenty of meat. You can tweak the seasoning, but make sure you leave the orange juice, lime juice, garlic, cumin and oregano as those truly make the meat taste Cuban.
You’ll need to shred the pork after it comes out of the slow cooker. The easiest way to shred is with two forks.
Next, add even more herbs and spices to the shredded pork.
It’s fine if some onions are in the pork. Add a cup of the liquid from the slow cooker to the pork and mix the seasoning in.
Add another cup of liquid so that the pork stays juicy and moist. This also allows the pork to continue to develop its flavor.
Make sandwiches with the Cuban pork, or make an entire cuban meal with rice, black beans, guacamole and plantains. Slice up limes to squeeze across each person’s meal.
Cuban Pork … in the Slow Cooker!
This takes about 10 minutes to prep and then an additional 5 minutes when the pork is pulled out of the slow cooker. Serves 8-12 people.
Ingredients to add to the pork as it cooks:
- 3-4 pound boneless pork butt (trim the excess fat off)
- 1 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1/2 cup lime juice
- 1 onion, cut into big chunks
- 1 jalapeno, sliced in half
- 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
Spices to add to the pork once cooked:
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried minced onion
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon orange zest (you can use the dried Valencia Orange Peel)
Directions:
Place pork butt in a large slow cooker (I trim the excess fat as I’m not a fan of it!) and add the rest of the the ingredients. Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 6 hours. Meat is ready when it falls off the bone.
Remove the pork from the bone and place in a bowl. Shred with two forks. Add the additional oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, cumin and orange zest. Stir with one cup of liquid from the slow cooker. Then, add another cup of liquid, if needed, to ensure that the pork has enough liquid to keep moist as the liquid and extra spices will continue to flavor the pork.
Let sit for 15 minutes to enhance its flavor and it’s ready!
Enjoy! For more recipes, check out our recipe archives.