Crispy Slow Cooker Carnitas

Memorial Day weekend. The flag is out. The grill is lit. The people are coming. This year feels bigger than last — maybe because there are more people now, or because the word has spread that Marcus Rivera's Memorial Day cookout is not to be missed, or because Mr. Delgado called my dad last week and asked "are we doing the thing again?" and my dad said "we're always doing the thing" and Mr. Delgado said "I'm bringing my daughter and her family," which turned a gathering of twelve into a gathering of twenty.

I made pulled pork again — the Memorial Day standard — but this year I also added burnt ends from the pork belly, because I've been perfecting the technique and because burnt ends are the kind of food that makes people question their life choices. Cubed, seasoned, smoked, tossed in a sticky glaze, smoked again. They come out like meat candy. Caramelized, smoky, sweet, with a chew that makes you close your eyes. Mr. Delgado's daughter, Rosa — a woman in her forties who teaches high school in Glendale — ate five and said "Mr. Rivera, where has this food been all my life?" and I said "in my backyard, where you're always welcome."

Roberto was in fine form. He'd set up his cinder block grill next to my smoker — the old and the new, side by side, father and son — and was grilling carne asada and chicken like a man who's been doing it for forty years, which he has. Mr. Delgado sat in a lawn chair next to him, same as last year, and they talked in the low voices of men who've earned the right to be quiet. Mr. Delgado served in Vietnam. My dad rebuilt transmissions. Different wars. Same silence.

Jessica sat in a lawn chair with her belly and a plate and the contentment of a pregnant woman who doesn't have to cook. Sofia played with Mr. Delgado's grandkids — three of them, between ages three and seven — and they ran in circles around the yard with the purposeless joy that only children have. I watched them from the grill and thought about Diego, who will be running those same circles next year, and the year after, and the year after that.

Made a watermelon-jalapeño agua fresca for the party — fresh watermelon, lime juice, a little sugar, and one seeded jalapeño, blended and strained. Bright pink, slightly spicy, cold as mercy in the Arizona heat. It disappeared in an hour. Twenty people, one pitcher. I should have made three. Next year: three pitchers. Three pitchers and more burnt ends and more chairs and more people. The table keeps growing. That's how it should be.

The burnt ends were the star this year, but carnitas are what I reach for when the headcount climbs and I can’t babysit the smoker all day — this is the slow cooker version I’ve leaned on for years when Roberto’s already got the cinder block grill running and I need a second pork anchor on the table. You set it before the first guest arrives, shred it when Rosa’s family pulls into the driveway, and run it under the broiler for that crispy edge that makes people think you worked harder than you did. When the table keeps growing, this is the recipe that grows with it.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 8 hrs | Total Time: 8 hrs 15 min | Servings: 10

Ingredients

4 lbs boneless pork shoulder (butt), cut into 3 large chunks
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 large orange, juiced (about 1/3 cup)
2 limes, juiced (about 3 tablespoons)
5 garlic cloves, smashed
1 white onion, quartered
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons neutral oil (for broiling)

Instructions

Season the pork. In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, and smoked paprika. Pat the pork chunks dry and rub the spice mixture all over every surface.
Build the slow cooker base. Place the quartered onion and smashed garlic cloves in the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker. Lay the seasoned pork chunks on top. Add the bay leaves, pour in the orange juice, lime juice, and chicken broth.
Cook low and slow. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours (or HIGH for 5 hours), until the pork is fall-apart tender and pulls easily with a fork. Discard the bay leaves.
Shred the pork. Transfer the pork to a large rimmed baking sheet, reserving the cooking liquid. Shred using two forks, pulling the meat into rough, uneven pieces — the varied sizes give you more crispy edges. Spread in a single layer across the baking sheet.
Add liquid and broil. Spoon about 1/4 cup of the reserved cooking liquid over the shredded pork and drizzle with the oil. Toss gently to coat. Set the oven rack 6 inches from the broiler and broil on HIGH for 5–7 minutes, until the edges are deeply golden and crispy. Watch closely — the line between crispy and burned is fast.
Taste and finish. Remove from the oven, taste for salt, and squeeze a little extra lime over the top if you want brightness. Serve immediately straight from the pan.

Nutrition (per serving)

Crispy Slow Cooker Carnitas — The Pork That Feeds a Growing Table