I’ve never been a fan of Crock-Pots. I always thought they were for old people, housewives, and the culinary faint of heart. Anyone with real cojones wouldn’t be caught dead using one, especially for a traditional recipe like pork carnitas. Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t a Crock-Pot just the microwave’s slower, slightly debilitated cousin?
Turns out I’m the slightly debilitated one. Turns out the Crock-Pot was on to something, a culinary truism so profound that I failed to recognize its merits completely. It represents a crucial link between modern cuisine and ancestral tradition via the slow, gradual application of heat to food. The term slow cooking can be applied to a variety of methods – braise, stew, poach, sous vide – that have been utilized for centuries (millennia, even) to produce a rich, tender dish.
It all started with the discovery of fire. Then came the big clay pots, the animal flesh, the herbs and vegetables, and voila – the world’s first stew. Cooking techniques evolved throughout the next 10,000 years or so (dates are debatable) to keep up with advancements in technology. An open flame became an electrical outlet. Clay pots became Crock-Pots.
So here I am, staring at my stupid slow-cooker and wondering why I purchased the damn thing in the first place. Completely blind to its majestic connection with the culinary arts and the history of the human race. Dreaming about clay pots and open flames and a small, wrinkled Mexican woman crouched over a steaming vessel of pork carnitas. Where can I get a clay pot and a wrinkled abuela? I ask myself. Where can I get a secret family recipe for carnitas?
Maybe culture isn’t as far away as I thought. Maybe it’s been sitting on my counter for the past 3 years, collecting dust and bitter sentiments on its white plastic shell. I’ve always considered myself a hopeless romantic, but I never thought it would follow me into the kitchen. Now I’m starting to think my idea of gastronomic authenticity is ill-suited for the 21st century.
I realize I’ll never have a Mexican grandmother to whisper kitchen secrets in my ear. But I do have a Crock-Pot, and that means I can braise, poach, and stew my way to the recipes of yore. So what if I can’t spend 8 hours bending over an iron cauldron? That sounds painful. I’d rather let the Crock-Pot do the work while I take Instagram pictures of my cat.
Ingredients:
2 pounds boneless pork shoulder
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp ancho chile powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup brown sugar
juice of 1 lemon
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 jalapeños, chopped
2 canned chipotles, chopped
Directions: Heat a large pan to medium-high. Season the pork with 1 tsp chile powder, 1 tsp smoked paprika, and 1/2 tsp garlic salt. Drizzle the olive oil into the pan and brown the pork on all sides for about 5 minutes total. Remove from pan and set aside. Mix the remaining ingredients in the bowl of the Crock Pot. Add pork and cook on low for 8-10 hours. Serve with hot tortillas and your favorite salsa.
