Slow-Cooker Pulled-Pork (Carnitas) Recipe

Vegan | Gluten Free  | Slow Cooker
Serves:
6-7 (depending on size of portions)
Total Time:
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 7-8 hours on low or 4-6 hours on high
Notes:
I always test the meat with a meat thermometer before removing from the pot.  See guidelines for cooking temperature for pork here.
Ingredients:

• Boneless Pork Loin Roast, 2 lbs. 
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp onion powder
• ½ tsp ground black pepper
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 can cannellini beans
• 1 can red kidney beans
• 1 jar of salsa (mild, medium or hot, according to preference)

 Instructions:

1. Place boneless pork loin roast in slow cooker or crock pot.
2. Add seasonings to pork loin.
3. Rinse cannellini and red kidney beans and add to crock pot.
4. Pour half a jar of salsa over the beans and pork. Save remaining salsa for later.
5. Lightly mix the salsa and beans.
6. Pour half of a cup of water into the crock pot.
7. Set the slow cooker or Crock Pot for 7-8 hours on low or 4-6 hours on high. Test the meat with thermometer.*
8. When done, use two forks to pull the pork apart while still in pot.
9. Pour remaining salsa in the pot and mix together. 
10. Serve with tacos, tortillas or over brown rice, riced cauliflower or fresh spinach. (Trust me on the spinach, it’s good!)

 Nutritional Information:
Per Serving:  Calories: 355, Carbs: 22, Fat: 14, Protein: 34, Sodium: 487, Sugar: 2.
 
Notes:
I always test the meat with a meat thermometer before removing from the pot.  See guidelines for cooking temperature for pork here.
 

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​This is a recipe that my family and I LOVE and it is super easy to make.  Total win-win situation!  It is sort of like praying the Rosary while exercising 😉 (Read more about that here!)   Before I had my son, I imagined that the life of a stay-at-home/work-from-home mom would be calmer than it is. BOY was I WRONG!  As a SAHM/WFHM, my schedule is crammed with appointments, meetings and other obligations, both professional and personal.  As other moms, I am super busy and need to utilize all techniques and resources to make our lives easier and more manageable.  That’s why I love my slow cooker recipes so much.   I stumbled upon a recipe for slow cooker pork carnitas that looked amazing.  Unfortunately, I didn’t read the actual recipe BEFORE purchasing the necessary ingredients.   Instead, I just bought a boneless pork loin roast.  

Once it came time to make the boneless pork loin roast, I panicked.  It was morning and I had an overflowing to-do list and a variety of appointments and commitments that all revolved around my toddler’s nap, eating and play schedule.   I didn’t have time to look at the recipe again, let alone make a trip to the grocery store.  So I grabbed a jar of salsa, some spices, a can of cannellini and a can of red kidney beans, threw them all into the slow cooker, turned it on low and hoped for the best.   I remember thinking to myself that if the recipe came out horrible, I would just blame the internet and order a pizza. 

Throughout the day the house began to smell amazing!  It was difficult eating my boring salad with left-over chicken with the smells that were emanating from the slow cooker.  Even our dog was enthusiastically sniffing around in the kitchen.  That night I came home from the last appointment of the day, began to serve the pulled pork over fresh spinach (trust me on this!) with some greek yogurt and shredded cheese on top, we were blissfully surprised at how delicious and tender the finished product was!  Even my toddler liked it, nodding his sweet head in approval that it was indeed yummy!   All that I know is that despite my lack of preparing, now I have another slow cooker recipe that is healthy, easy-to-make, my entire family enjoys it and is perfect for left-overs.   If you aren’t a fan of pork, you could replace it with chicken or beef.      

Please share this recipe for Slow-Cooker, Crock Pot Pulled-Pork (Carnitas) on social media and if you post pictures of your finished product, be sure to tag us in your pics: @CatholicMomRI (Our handle for all social media).  Buon appetito! ​