Dr. Pepper Carnitas

You would think now that I am the proud owner of a crock pot (only took me a year to decide a) if my kitchen really had room and b) if I would really use it and c) if it was going to be worth the investment) I wouldn’t immediately return to slow cooking things in my oven with a pot.

But I think the oven method gives you a better char than the slow cooker, which can make things a bit mushy if you aren’t careful.

Now that the temperature in DC doesn’t make you wonder if it’d be cooler in Hell, I’m a lot less tentative about turning on my oven for hours at a time. Plus I have a gas stove and don’t pay for gas in my apartment complex, so it’s about the same in costs as turning on the slow cooker.

 Dr. Pepper Carnitas

As made famous by The Pioneer Woman

This makes a ton of pork (5 to 7 pounds!), especially when you cooking for one. Luckily, it freezes magnificently. I’ll be sharing a recipe later on for one suggestion for the leftovers if you get tired of tacos (though I’m not sure how that would happen). If you are a huge spice fan, feel free to double the amount of chipotles used. I halved Ree's original suggestion because I like spice, but also like my taste buds. 

Ingredients:

1 large onion, peeled, sliced into eighths

1 whole pork shoulder (also called pork butt) – 5 to 7 pounds

Salt and Pepper

2 cans Dr. Pepper

1 can (7-ounce) Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

2 tablespoons brown sugar

Equipment:

Large oven-proof pot with lid or aluminum foil

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Peel the onion and cut into eighths. Lay them on the bottom of your pot. Generously salt and pepper the pork roast, then set it on top of the onions in the pan. Pour the can of chipotle peppers over the pork (including sauce) and then both cans of Dr. Pepper. Add the brown sugar to the juice and stir in.

Cover pot with lid or tightly with aluminum foil and set in oven. Cook at least six hour, turning the roast two or three times during the cooking process. If, after six hours, the meat isn’t absolutely falling apart when you touch it with two forks, return to the oven for another half-hour to hour.

Remove meat from the pot and place on a cutting board. Use two forks to shred meat, discarding large pieces of fat. Strain as much of the fat as possible from on top of the cooking liquid and discard it. Return the shredded meat to the cooking liquid and stir well.

Serve on warm tortillas and top with your favorites – shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, grated cheese, avocados, salsa, go crazy!