Crock-Pot Programmable Cook & Carry Slow Cooker
When I started living frugally back in 2007, I began my love affair with my Crock-Pot. Having a slow cooker (actually two of them) dove tailed beautifully with my decision to start extreme meal planning and cooking at home all the time. I quickly learned that there’s nothing more satisfying than throwing the ingredients of your dinner in the slow cooker at 7 a.m. and then coming home at dinner time to a hot meal waiting for you. In my mind a slow cooker=frugal living.
Along the way I became a regular reader of the blog A Year of Slowcooking by Stephanie O’Dea, which spawned two cookbooks–Make It Fast, Cook It Slow: The Big Book of Everyday Slow Cooking and More Make It Fast, Cook It Slow: 200 Brand-New, Budget-Friendly, Slow-Cooker Recipes–both of which I own. One of my favorite recipes of late from those cookbooks is the super easy cranberry roast, which requires a cut of meat, a can of cranberry sauce, some onion flakes and soy sauce. That’s it. In eight hours you get a Thanksgiving-worthy dish that you can serve year round. It’s the best.
In celebration of Cinco de Mayo, I decided to share with you a festive recipe that you could make in your slow cooker. But instead of coming from Stephanie O’Dea’s pantry, this one comes from the folks at Crock-Pot. It’s for Crock-Pot Carnitas. (I’m posting this on May 3rd so that if you do want to make it for May 5th, you have some time to gather ingredients.)
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Crock-Pot® Carnitas
INGREDIENTS
2.5 pounds pork butt roast, trimmed of excess fat
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup cola
1 orange, peeled and cut into slices
INSTRUCTIONS
Season the pork roast with the dry spices. Place in a self-sealing plastic bag and marinate overnight.
Place the marinated pork roast in the Crock-Pot® slow cooker.
Pour the cola over the pork and cover the roast with the orange slices.
Cover; cook on Low 8 to 10 hours (or on High 4 to 6 hours).
Remove the roast and shred with two forks.
Place the shredded pork on an large baking sheet and bake at 425°F for 25 minutes, or until the pork becomes crispy.
Sprinkle some of the leftover juices in the stoneware over the pork and serve right away.
Serve the carnitas with Mexican rice, beans, and tortillas, or as a filling for tacos or burritos.
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I plan on making these for dinner this week, though I might skip the extra step in the oven as well as the pre-marinating. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from Stephanie O’Dea it’s that slow cooker cooking should be as simple as possible, and that cuts of meat have plenty of time to “marinate” in the slow cooker! I’ll let you know how it turns out!
READ LEAH ON HOME GOES STRONG
Both of those sound yummy…going to give them a try. Love the concept of your blog!
Both of those sound yummy…going to give them a try!
WOW that is such an awesome idea! Carnitas in a crock pot is the perfect solution to my problem! I was trying to decide what to cook for my friend on Cinco de mayo…it being a work day, I wouldnt have a lot of time to cook after work. Thanks!
I became enamored with my Crock Pot last year… Even though I work from home, I love throwing all of the ingredients in in the morning, then smelling the meal as it wafts through the house that day. This sounds like a great Cinco de Mayo meal — I even have a pork butt in the freezer so I’m ready to go.
Looking forward to reading more of your frugal tips and tricks!
I have a love/hate relationship with my slow cooker but this recipe might be worth my trying again. We love pork butt here.
Thanks for sharing! This post comes at the perfect time for me – not just because it’s Cinco De Mayo, but because this is the time of year when I really start putting my crock pot to work! My stove really heats up the house, which is the last thing I need in the warmer months, so I can’t wait to try add this recipe to my slow-cooker stash!
Viva la crockpot!
Thank you, Leah, for including me in your article.
I hope your carnitas turned out well, and you washed them down with a big ol’ margarita.
xxxo
The carnitas were delicious. The kids not only asked for seconds but then for leftovers the next night so they could eat them again. Also, I didn’t have any cola in the house so I used Sprite instead, and everything still was quite yummy.
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