Smoked Carnitas
This recipe was originally a shortcut experiment, and they ended up being a big hit! I wanted to combine the rich smokey flavor of a smoked pork shoulder with a traditional carnitas flair but didn’t have time for an all-day smoke, so I slow-cooked the pork overnight in the crockpot first and finished it in the smoker the next day. The result was unbelievably tender, juicy carnitas with crisp edges and a noticeably smoky flavor without spending an entire day tending the smoker. This is now my go-to recipe when I want crowd-pleasing carnitas with less stress and all the flavor.
Total Time: 11 hours I Servings: 20-24 tacos
Ingredients
1 (6 pound) boneless pork shoulder
2 teaspoons garlic salt
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon onion powder
2 teaspoons mexican oregano
1 onion, quartered
1 orange, halved
6 cloves garlic, crushed
2 bay leaves
6 ounces Coca-Cola
1 large pinch flake salt
24 corn tortillas, taco size
Toppings
diced onion
chopped cilantro
Sliced jalapeno
creamy cilantro hot sauce
Instructions
Cut the pork shoulder into large 4x4 inch cubes.
Combine the garlic salt, cumin, onion powder, and Mexican oregano in a small dish. Evenly sprinkle the seasoning on all sides of the pork cubes, turning the pieces as needed to ensure they are fully coated.
Add the seasoned pork, quartered onion, crushed garlic, bay leaves, Coca-Cola, to the crockpot. Hand squeeze the orange halves over the pork mixture and add them (peel and all) to the crockpot. Cook on low for 8 hours.
When the pork is done, set your smoker to 200°F.
The pork will be very tender but try to keep the cubes whole. Transfer the pork cubes to a smoker-friendly dish, preferably a 10x13 disposable aluminum lasagna dish. Skim ½ to ¾ cup fat from the top of the liquid remaining in the crockpot and pour evenly over the pork cubes. Sprinkle with 1 large pinch flake salt.
When the smoker has reached 200°F, smoke the pork in the aluminum tray for 2 hours.
Remove the pork from the smoker and let it rest for 10-15 minutes.
Shred pork and serve immediately.
