Nothing says dinner party like pork butt.
Seriously, make this dish for your next dinner party. It tastes professional, like you slaved all day, but it couldn’t be easier to make. it’s a crowd wow-pleaser, AND it involves the crock pot, which means little mess, and slow cooking preserves the nutrients. This dish is perfect for a pot luck, for a Mexican dinner party, or to feed a crowd. All you need to do is whip up the spice rub, get yourself a hunk of pork, wait about 7 hours, and you’re good to go.
Once the pork butt is finished slow cooking, you can slice it or shred it for tacos. I serve it with spicy raw kraut or cabbage slaw, avocado, cilantro, and salsa. You can also include organic corn tortillas or grain free paleo tortillas.
Paleo Crockpot Carnitas
You’ll need the following:
- 4-5 pound hunk of pastured pork shoulder/butt, tied, bone-in if you can get it
- 1 yellow onion
- garlic cloves
- spices (see below)
- a little chicken broth
- whatever sides you choose
First, get yourself the hunk of pork butt. I always get mine at Whole Foods. Bone-in yields a much more flavorful finished product. Then, mix up my spice rub: 1 Tbsp cumin, 1 Tbsp oregano, 2 heaping tsp sea salt (or to taste), 1 Tbsp chili powder, 1 Tbsp brown sugar, 1 Tbsp sweet or smoked paprika, Large pinch cayenne pepper, Black pepper to taste.
Second, shove garlic cloves into the folds of the meat and under the twine. Then, pat the rub generously all over the pork butt. It will look like this.
Roughly chop a yellow onion and spread it out over the bottom of the crock pot, then place the pork on top of the onion, fat side up. Pour a little chicken broth around the edges (not on the pork, or the rub will come off), just up to the level of the onion.
Set the crock pot to low for about 7 hours. It should be super tender and easy to shred. Remove the pork from the crock pot and place on a platter. You can shred or slice it. Then remove onion with a slotted spoon and arrange around the pork, like this.
That’s all it takes! Get creative and try different spice rubs or side dishes. You could serve with a black bean salsa or calabacitas. Make cauliflower tortillas or use corn if not paleo. Add raw kraut for probiotics and a zing. Enjoy!
MMMMMM….. MEAT
Mary Vance is a Certified Nutrition Consultant and author specializing in digestive health. She combines a science-based approach with natural therapies to rebalance the body. In addition to her 1:1 coaching, she offers courses to help you heal your gut and improve your health. Mary lives in San Francisco and Lake Tahoe in Northern California. Read more about her coaching practice here and her background here.
Thank you so much for sharing my tortilla recipe!
It’s a winner! 😀