This is a great recipe that is versatile in its cooking methods and ways to serve! You can cook in a slow cooker or in the oven if you’re home and have the time. Great to eat off of all week and serve over various salad greens or starches depending on you and your family’s preference. I used jicama tortillas with it for the first time and absolutely loved it! I’m obsessed with jicama tortillas now. And the best part is, you can buy them pre-cut at your local grocery store!
Citrus Cilantro Pulled Pork
Ingredients
1/2 cup olive oil, plus a tablespoon or two set aside for browning
1/2 cup of freshly squeezed citrus juice (lime, orange, grapefruit or mix)
6-8 garlic cloves
handful of chopped cilantro, plus more for topping
1 ts cumin
3-4 lb pork butt, shoulder, loin, carnitas (darker meat and bone-in will have more flavor)
salt and pepper
If using oven: 3-4 cups of chicken broth to add for cooking
Optional toppings: guacamole or avocado, pico, cilantro, lime juice, sour cream, cheese of choice, hot sauce, salsa
Serve over: greens, raw cabbage, jicama tortillas, rice, plantain chips or crackers (Slow Cooker Barbacoa and Plantain “Crackers”)
Directions
Blend oil, citrus juice, garlic, spices, and cilantro in a blender until smooth. Pour the marinade over pork in a plastic Ziploc storage bag and marinate pork for 4-12 hours (or overnight). When ready, save marinade and set aside, pat roast dry, and season generously with salt and pepper. Heat some olive oil in a frying pan (or dutch oven if cooking in oven) over med high heat, add meat and brown for 3-5 minutes on each side.
If using slow cooker, add browned pork and marinade, let cook about 4-5 hours on high or 8-10 hours on low until meat falls apart using a fork. If you want to use oven, place browned pork, marinade, and broth in dutch oven with cover and cook at 325ºF for about 3-4 hours or until meat falls apart. Either way of cooking, shred meat using forks the last 30 minutes or so before serving, so meat soaks up all the juices. Squeeze fresh lime juice and sprinkle with cilantro before serving.
Optional step and GAME CHANGER: If you really want to bring out the flavor of the pork and you have time, place pork you are going to use under broiler or fry in a pan with butter until slightly crispy.
Top with desired toppings and serve over jicama tortillas or any tortilla you like, salad, rice, etc.
*Note:If you don’t have time to marinate, that’s ok, just use the slow cooker method and add all ingredients except oil (browning is optional as well).
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[…] Citrus Cilantro Pulled Pork (I like to crisp it up first) […]
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Where has this recipe been all my life? Its a combination of my favorite things!
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