Five Ingredient Carnitas over Cauliflower Rice

Although the recipe name below says Instant Pot, I ended up throwing this one in the slow cooker. After purchasing and using the Instant Pot so much recently, I forgot how nice it is to just throw a meal in the slow cooker early in the day and not worry about having to finish it up until 8 hours later. Anyways, this meal looks a little bland, and it could definitely be topped with some tomatoes/salsa and guacamole/avocado, but it honestly did turn out tasting very flavorful and delicious! I didn't see any boneless pork shoulder at the store, so I used center cut pork chops instead. I also did not broil the pork when I was done, although I do know adding some ghee and broiling the pork would have made this even tastier. For the Mexican seasoning I used Primal Palate Taco Seasoning, but if you don't want to purchase a special seasoning I also listed a recipe for making your own taco seasoning below using spices you already have in your kitchen. For the cauliflower rice I simply bought a few bags of frozen Riced Veggies Cauliflower and heated it on the stove top with some olive oil, garlic salt, some of the taco seasoning, and juice from 1 lime. Don't let this bland picture fool you, this meal was packed with flavor and was extremely easy, simple, and quick to throw together for meal prep! 

Five Ingredient Instant Pot Carnitas
Ingredients:

• About 3 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into two-inch chunks
• 1 1/2 tablespoon Mexican seasoning* (I used Primal Palate Taco Seasoning instead)
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Juice of 2 oranges
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 tablespoon ghee

Directions:

1. Put the pork chunks in the Instant Pot and toss them with the Mexican seasoning, salt, and a few grinds of black pepper.
2. Combine the citrus juices in a liquid measuring cup, then add enough water to reach the one cup line. Pour the liquid into the Instant Pot.
3. Put the lid on the Instant Pot and make sure the valve is set to “Sealed”. Press “Manual” and adjust the time to 50 minutes. The Instant Pot will automatically begin cooking and will start counting down from 50 minutes once high pressure is reached. Once the cooking time is over, press “Keep Warm/Cancel” and let the pressure release naturally.
4. Remove the lid and push the “Sauté” button. Use two forks to roughly shred the meat while it’s in the pot. (At this point, you can finish the carnitas in the Instant Pot as described here, or finish them in the broiler as described in the Notes section.**) Let the liquid bubble away until it’s almost gone, stirring occasionally; this will take 20-30 minutes. When there’s almost no liquid left, stir in the ghee. Continue to cook until the pork is browned in spots, about 5 minutes more. Press “Keep Warm/Cancel” to turn the Instant Pot off. Serve hot with rice or cauliflower rice, lime slices, and avocado.

NOTES
*The original recipe used Frontier Mexican Seasoning, but I used Primal Palate Taco Seasoning, but you can make your own taco seasoning (recipe below) or just use chili powder. Reduce or omit the sea salt if your spice blend is already salted.
**To make these carnitas in a slow cooker, omit the water in Step 2. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. Remove the meat and shred with two forks. Spread the meat out on a foil-lined baking sheet and moisten with a little of the cooking liquid. Broil for about five minutes, until browned to your liking. You can also finish these in the broiler after making them in the IP if you'd like.

Original recipe found here

Make your own taco seasoning:

• 2 Tbsp Chili Powder
• 2 tsp Cumin
• 1/2 tsp Paprika
• 2 tsp dried Oregano
• 1 tsp Onion Powder
• 1 tsp Garlic Powder
• 2 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Black Pepper
• 1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
• 1/2 tsp ground Coriander

Process:

1. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix until combined
2. Use 1 1/2 Tbsp per 1 pound ground meat (or more to taste)

Original recipe found here