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PULLED PORK CARNITAS WITH PICKLED ONIONS

Cooked in the slow cooker for easy preparation, this tender and juicy pulled pork is served as tacos, but you can also add it to burritos, pizza, mac and cheese or pasta dishes. Of course it wouldn’t be complete without a sprinkling of a bold flaky sea salt like our Barrel Smoked Whisky Salt!

Pulled Pork Carnitas with pickled onions, chunky avocado and Whisky Salt.
Delicious slow-cooked pork carnitas for your next taco night!
Pulled Pork Carnitas recipe
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Pulled Pork Carnitas with Pickled Onions

Cooked in the slow cooker for easy preparation, this tender and juicypulled pork is served as tacos, but you can also add it to burritos, pizza, mac and cheese or pasta dishes.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Keyword carnitas, pulled pork, taco, Whisky Salt
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours 5 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 20 minutes
Servings 6 people

Equipment

  • slow cooker

Ingredients

Pork Rub

  • 1 tbsp chili powder
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 2 tsp Vancouver Island Sea Salt (fine)
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • ½ tsp cayenne pepper

Pulled Pork

  • 1 pork shoulder (3 1/2 lbs/1.6 kg)
  • 1 onion
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 pcs bay leaves
  • 1 cup beer
  • 1 cup chicken broth (unsalted/no salt added)
  • 2 tbsp lime juice

Pickled Red Onions

  • ½ cup white wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp Vancouver Island Sea Salt (fine)
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 red onion, thinly sliced

Garnish & Finishing

  • 12 corn tortillas, warmed
  • 2 ripe avocados, halved, pitted, peeled and chopped
  • ¼ cup cilantro leaves (packed tightly)
  • Barrel Smoked Whisky Salt to finish

Instructions

Pulled Pork

  • Stir together chili powder, brown sugar, Fine Sea Salt, paprika, cumin, pepper,oregano and cayenne; rub all over pork.
  • Place pork in bowl of slow cooker; add onion, garlic and bay leaves. Pour in beer, broth and lime juice.
  • Cover and cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours or High for 3 to 4 hours until very tender. Remove and discard bay leaves (Make the pickled red onions while waiting).
  • Transfer pork to cutting board. Let stand for 10 minutes. Shred pork using two forks.
  • Pour 2 cups (500 mL) of cooking liquid into small saucepan; cook over high heat for 3 to 5 minutes or until thickened, then toss with pulled pork. Return to slow cooker; set on Warm until ready to serve.

Pickled Red Onions

  • Combine vinegar, Fine Sea Salt and sugar; bring to boil.
  • Pour over sliced red onion. Let stand for 1 to 2 hours or until lightly pickled.

To Assemble

  • Serve pulled pork in tortillas with pickled red onions, chopped avocado and cilantro. You can also drizzle some homemade Mexican crema (recipe below) and sprinkle with our Barrel Smoked Whisky Salt.

Notes

  • Add thinly sliced cabbage, queso fresco and a drizzle of crema to tacos if desired.
  • For the pickled onions, you can substitute white vinegar instead of white wine vinegar to make the pickled onions. It will be slightly more acidic, so balance it out by adding another teaspoon of sugar and a tablespoon or two of water.
  • Sprinkling the Barrel Smoked Whisky Salt to finish the tacos gives this an extra crunch and lends a hint of smoke to the pulled pork.
Make your own Mexican Crema for the next Taco Night!
Homemade Mexican Crema
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Homemade Mexican Crema

A great sauce to include in your spread for taco night, Mexican crema is a lot more intense than sour cream and is great for cooling down the palate when you eat hot and spicy chilies. Our recipe starts with making your own creme fraiche (but store bought creme fraiche will do). Leaving it on the counter for 12 hrs will activate the buttermilk culture and give this crema a rich taste and thicker consistency. You can keep this cream in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
Course Sauces and Dressing
Cuisine Mexican
Keyword creme fraiche, Mexican crema, taco dressing
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Resting time 12 hours
Total Time 12 hours 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup cream
  • 1 tbsp buttermilk
  • 2 tsp lime juice
  • 1 tsp Vancouver Island Sea Salt (fine)
  • 1 tsp coriander seeds

Instructions

  • Heat cream in a sauce pan to just below simmer or until warmed through. Transfer to a non-reactive container.
  • Add buttermilk to the cream and leave to stand covered at room temperature for at least 12 hrs (up to 24 hrs). This will create the creme fraiche.
  • When the cream is ready, toast the cumin seeds on a dry skillet until fragrant, about one minute. Grind the toasted spice in a grinder or mortar and pestle.
  • Add cumin, sea salt and lime juice to the thickened cream and stir to mix well.

Notes

  • If using ready-made creme fraiche, omit steps 1 and 2.
  • This crema will keep in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
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