PALEO SLOW COOKER CARNITAS TACOS
This recipe was inspired by a dish I had at a restaurant called Candelas On The Bay in San Diego. They have a paleo menu and one of the items I tried was carnitas tacos wrapped in thinly sliced jicama shells. I have made carnitas many times, but never had it wrapped in jicama. The jicama taco shells tasted delicious and I couldn't wait to try them out at home!
Slicing the jicama can be challenging, and it took me a few tries to get it as thin as I wanted it. If you have a small jicama that fits in a mandolin slicer you can make smaller "street tacos" and you will have a much easier time. I used a sharp knife to make my slices and I lost about 1/3 of a jicama in the process. Luckily I had purchased a jicama as big as my head (and I have a really big head), so there was plenty to experiment on and I finally got them thin enough for my liking. I also found that if I warmed the thicker pieces in a pan for about 30-60 seconds, they became much more flexible.
If you just can't stand the idea of using jicama for a taco shell, then you can always try my recipe for paleo tortillas instead!
Slicing the jicama can be challenging, and it took me a few tries to get it as thin as I wanted it. If you have a small jicama that fits in a mandolin slicer you can make smaller "street tacos" and you will have a much easier time. I used a sharp knife to make my slices and I lost about 1/3 of a jicama in the process. Luckily I had purchased a jicama as big as my head (and I have a really big head), so there was plenty to experiment on and I finally got them thin enough for my liking. I also found that if I warmed the thicker pieces in a pan for about 30-60 seconds, they became much more flexible.
If you just can't stand the idea of using jicama for a taco shell, then you can always try my recipe for paleo tortillas instead!
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Paleo Slow Cooker Carnitas TacosPrep time:15 mins Cook time: 8 hours Servings: 6
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Ingredients:
- 2 1/2 pound boneless pork shoulder
- 2 Tbsp. lard/bacon fat or tallow
- Sea Salt
- Ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 1 medium orange, juiced
- 1 lime, juiced
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 tsp. dried cumin
- 2 tsp. dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 1 small onion, sliced
- 1 large jicama, thinly sliced (or 2 small jicama if using a mandolin slicer)
TOPPINGS:
- 2 ripe avocados, sliced
- 1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 2 limes, quartered
- Salsa (optional)
- Hot sauce (optional)
Equipment:
- Cutting board
- Kitchen knife
- Garlic press
- Slow Cooker
- Large Skillet
- Stirring Spoon
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Baking sheet
- Fork (for shredding the meat)
- Mandolin slicer (optional)
- Paper towels
Directions:
1. Pat the pork shoulder dry with paper towels and season generously with sea salt and ground black pepper. Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and allow the lard/bacon fat or tallow to get hot. Brown the pork shoulder on all sides.
2. Pour the chicken broth into the bottom of the slow cooker. Place the pork in the slow cooker and pour the fresh squeezed orange and lime juice over the meat. Top with the garlic, cumin, oregano, cayenne pepper and sliced onions.
3. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours, or until the meat is very tender
4. Remove the meat from the slow cooker and discard the onion slices. Reserve about 1/2 cup of the liquid from the pan and set aside. Shred the meat into bite sized chunks. Taste the meat and add additional sea salt and ground black pepper if desired.
5. Turn the oven on to broil and place an oven rack on highest setting. Spread the shredded pork onto a baking sheet and broil for about 3-5 minutes or until the edges get a brown and crispy. Pour the reserved liquid back over the meat and toss to coat.
6. Place a helping of meat inside each jicama taco shell. Serve with sliced avocado, limes, fresh cilantro and your favorite salsa and/or hot sauce. Enjoy!
- 2 1/2 pound boneless pork shoulder
- 2 Tbsp. lard/bacon fat or tallow
- Sea Salt
- Ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 1 medium orange, juiced
- 1 lime, juiced
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 tsp. dried cumin
- 2 tsp. dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 1 small onion, sliced
- 1 large jicama, thinly sliced (or 2 small jicama if using a mandolin slicer)
TOPPINGS:
- 2 ripe avocados, sliced
- 1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 2 limes, quartered
- Salsa (optional)
- Hot sauce (optional)
Equipment:
- Cutting board
- Kitchen knife
- Garlic press
- Slow Cooker
- Large Skillet
- Stirring Spoon
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Baking sheet
- Fork (for shredding the meat)
- Mandolin slicer (optional)
- Paper towels
Directions:
1. Pat the pork shoulder dry with paper towels and season generously with sea salt and ground black pepper. Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and allow the lard/bacon fat or tallow to get hot. Brown the pork shoulder on all sides.
2. Pour the chicken broth into the bottom of the slow cooker. Place the pork in the slow cooker and pour the fresh squeezed orange and lime juice over the meat. Top with the garlic, cumin, oregano, cayenne pepper and sliced onions.
3. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours, or until the meat is very tender
4. Remove the meat from the slow cooker and discard the onion slices. Reserve about 1/2 cup of the liquid from the pan and set aside. Shred the meat into bite sized chunks. Taste the meat and add additional sea salt and ground black pepper if desired.
5. Turn the oven on to broil and place an oven rack on highest setting. Spread the shredded pork onto a baking sheet and broil for about 3-5 minutes or until the edges get a brown and crispy. Pour the reserved liquid back over the meat and toss to coat.
6. Place a helping of meat inside each jicama taco shell. Serve with sliced avocado, limes, fresh cilantro and your favorite salsa and/or hot sauce. Enjoy!
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