Quarantine recipe: Craig’s carnitas bowls

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Hey guys, it’s Craig here, Shmeal co-founder.

While we’re staying home under quarantine, we’ve been doing lots of cooking. We figured now is a good time to share some of our favorite Shmeal recipes for you to try out!

Here is a recipe for my most popular meal, “12-hour carnitas bowl.” I’ve served 54 of these delicious bowls on Shmeal!

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This recipe is perfect for quarantining because it takes 12 hours for the carnitas to cook. It will make your house smell amazing all day.

Carnitas Ingredients

• Pork shoulder
• Onion, chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 3 oranges
• 1 jalapeño, chopped and seeded
• 2 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Pepper

Rub Ingredients

• 2 tsp Cumin
• 1 tbsp dried Oregano
• 1 tbsp Olive oil

Bowl Ingredients

• 1 bunch of Kale
• 3 cups of Quinoa (cooked)
• 2 Avocado
• 1/4 cup Sunflower kernels
• 1/4 cup craisins
• 2 Limes
• Salsa verde

How to make carnitas

1. Rub the salt and pepper in to the pork shoulder.
2. Combine the cumin, oregano and olive oil, and rub in to the pork shoulder.
3. Put the rubbed pork shoulder into the slow-cooker.
4. Add the chopped onion, garlic and jalapeño to the slow-cooker.
5. Squeeze the juice from the 3 oranges into the slow cooker.
6. Turn on the slow-cooker and cook for 12 hours on low. I like to get up early to prep, or cook the carnitas overnight. Using a ladle, pour juices from the slow cooker over your pork shoulder every couple of hours.
7. After 12 hours, remove the pork shoulder from the slow-cooker to a large bowl, and shred the pork shoulder with two forks. Save the juices in the slow-cooker for later.
8. Before serving, lightly fry your shredded pork shoulder on a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat.

Assembling the bowl

1. Wash and prep your kale.
2. Toast and cook the quinoa.
3. Add kale and quinoa to bowl.
4. Top kale and quinoa with sunflower kernels and craisins.
5. Add carnitas directly from the pan.
6. Add avocado slices, a slice of lime, salsa verde and more sunflower kernels and craisins to taste.

Bonus: Here is a classic video from the first time I shared this recipe! Back when every meal on Shmeal was $6.