Chipotle Carnitas

Name: Chipotle Carnitas
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 h 8 min
Total time: 10 h 28 min
Yield: 16 servings
Cuisine: North America, Mexican
Ingredients: 1/2 cup chicken broth; 4 teaspoons ground chipotle pepper; 4 teaspoons ground cumin; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 boneless pork shoulder roast (4 to 5 pounds), halved; 1 large onion, peeled and halved; 8 garlic cloves, peeled; 1 to 2 limes, halved; 16 tostada shells; Optional toppings: Warmed refried beans, salsa, sour cream, shredded lettuce, sliced avocado, crumbled queso fresco and minced fresh cilantro; Lime wedges

Total Time Prep: 20 min. Cook: 8 hours

Yield 16 servings

Test Kitchen Approved

These chipotle carnitas are a great way to feed a crowd with minimal effort. Though the cooking time is long, the hands-on prep time is brief, and clean-up is a breeze. The tender, slow-cooked pulled pork can be used for tostadas, tacos, burritos and more.

Ingredients

1/2 cup chicken broth
4 teaspoons ground chipotle pepper
4 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 boneless pork shoulder roast (4 to 5 pounds), halved
1 large onion, peeled and halved
8 garlic cloves, peeled
1 to 2 limes, halved
16 tostada shells
Optional toppings: Warmed refried beans, salsa, sour cream, shredded lettuce, sliced avocado, crumbled queso fresco and minced fresh cilantro
Lime wedges

Directions

Add broth to a 5-qt. slow cooker. Mix seasonings; rub over all sides of pork. Place in slow cooker. Add onion and garlic cloves. Cook, covered, on low 8-10 hours, until meat is tender.
Remove pork; cool slightly. Strain cooking juices, reserving garlic cloves; discard onion. Skim fat from cooking juices. Mash garlic with a fork. Shred pork with 2 forks.
Return cooking juices, garlic and pork to slow cooker. Squeeze lime juice over pork; heat through, stirring to combine. Layer tostada shells with pork mixture and toppings as desired. Serve with lime wedges.

Nutrition Facts

1 tostada: 269 calories, 15g fat (5g saturated fat), 76mg cholesterol, 279mg sodium, 9g carbohydrate (1g sugars, 1g fiber), 23g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 3 medium-fat meat, 1/2 starch.

Here's a terrific recipe for your next weeknight dinner. Set out various toppings and garnishes so your family members can customize their own tostadas with the lime-kissed shredded pork. —Jan Valdez, Chicago, Illinois

Recipe Creator