Winter is well and truly upon us and for most this means a yearning for warming, hearty food that fill your home with delicious smells and brings the family together.
But have you ever stopped to ask yourself why you crave these heavier foods in the cold months? The answer is surprisingly simple. Higher fat foods take longer for your digestive system to break down which not only leaves you feeling satiated for longer, it means that your body is working on them for longer which elevates your internal temperature and keeps you warmer.
The reduced daylight hours during the winter months can also result in many people lacking in Vitamin D (which is necessary for metabolism and mineral absorption) as sunlight is the best source of this particular vitamin. But that doesn’t mean you have to miss out on this vital vitamin as Lard is another great source!
So today we’re sharing with you a great winter recipe to fill your stomach with a good, wholesome, nutritious meal. This one is especially easy because it uses the slow cooker to create a great result with the added benefit of coming home to a house that smells incredible!
This recipe is a perfect one to gather than family around the table to enjoy a meal together. Have all the components on the table and let everyone add their own “extras” to suit their tastes. Kids especially love this one with the flavoursome meat and taking part in making their meal. Enjoy!
Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas
Ingredients
- 2kg pork scotch fillet (or neck if you can get it - ask your butcher)
- 1 tbs ground cumin
- 1-2 tsp chilli powder (more or less depending on your preference)
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- 2 dried bay leaves
- Generous pinch salt
- 250g York Foods Lard (yes, it’s a lot but trust us, its absolutely necessary and creates the most delicious, moist pork!)
Instructions
- Put your pork fillet into the slow cooker
- Combine all the spices and using your hands, rub the spices all over the pork so it’s well coated
- Cut up the lard into cubes to help it melt faster and put them around the pork in the slow cooker
- Cook on low setting for 6-8 hours
- Pull out the bay leaves
- Shred the meat with a fork (it should just fall apart, if it doesn’t, give it a little longer)
- Don’t drain all that glorious liquid. The pork will soak up a lot of it once it’s been shredded.
Serve in warm tortillas topped with a selection of chopped corriander, diced onion, diced tomato, guacamole, chilli, sour cream and/or homemade refried beans. Also delicious on rolls with coleslaw the next day.
We’d love to see your photos if you cook up this dish! Just share them on Facebook or Instagram with the hashtags #yorkfoods #bringbacklard
