If you’re a lover of all things Mexican, try out Claire Tansey’s juicy carnitas recipe with fresh Mexican crema.

Prep: 15 min | Total: 4 hours 25 min

Ingredients for pork carnitas:

1.5 kg boneless pork shoulder blade

1 tsp salt

1 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp hot-red-chili flakes

1/8 tsp cumin

1 cinnamon stick

1 bay leaf

1 small onion, cut into 8 wedges

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 avocado

Ingredients for the Mexican crema:

1/3 cup sour cream

1/3 cup 35% cream

1/4 tsp salt

Method:

Set slow cooker to high.

Cut pork into 4-in. pieces. Combine salt with chili powder, chili flakes and cumin. Rub into meat until fully coated. Season with pepper. Arrange pork in 1 layer in slow cooker insert. Add cinnamon stick, bay leaf, onion and garlic. Cover with lid and cook for 4 hours.

Remove pork to a cutting board and let cool slightly. Using a fork, pull the pork apart into bite-sized pieces. Spoon 2 tbsp of drippings and cooked onions from slow cooker into a large non-stick frying pan set over medium-high. Add half of pork to hot pan and cook until edges are slightly crispy, 4 to 6 min. Repeat with remaining pork, adding additional drippings if needed. Serve immediately with Green-Herbs Rice and Mexican crema. Garnish with avocado wedges..

For the Mexican crema, stir creams with salt in a small bowl. Let stand at room temperature for

3 hours.

SERVES 6 | PER SERVING 383 calories, 37 g protein, 5 g carbs, 23 g fat, 3 g fibre, 450 mg sodium. Excellent source of vitamin B6.

Kitchen Tip: If not using a slow cooker, preheat oven to 325F. Follow directions for coating of spice mixture as above. Arrange pork in the bottom of an ovenproof pot. Add cinnamon stick, bay leaf, onions and garlic. Cover pot and bake 4 hours. Continue with recipe.

Courtesy Claire Tansey, www.chatelaine.com