Carnitas

With the return of extracurricular activities, we have been really pushed to have a reasonable nightly dinner.

Are you in a similar situation?

The slow cooker has been brought back into the regular dinner routine, and I may share a few slow cooker recipes here. (Please feel free to send me your regular recipes, too!)

We have taco night at least weekly, and we alternate between beef tacos and Carnitas. Both are favorites.

Carnitas

Pork loin (or some other cut of pork, fat removed)
1 cup water
1 onion, halved
4 cloves of garlic, smashed
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dry oregano
1 orange, halved

Instructions:

Trim the pork of excess fat and combine all ingredients into slow cooker. Cook on low for 8 hours.

Serve with tortillas and favorite taco fixings.

If you are in a rush, the following recipe is also good:

Carnitas

Pork loin
1 cup water
McCormick Taco Seasoning
Orange

Instructions:

Trim the pork of excess fat. Coat pork loin with taco seasoning and place into slow cooker. Carefully add 1 cup water, without removing seasoning. Slice orange in half, squeeze the juice over the pork loin and leave orange in the slow cooker. Cook on low for 8 hours. Service with tortillas and taco fixings.

Honestly, my family cannot tell the difference between the two recipes, and the "easy" recipe takes five minutes.