Crockpot Cuban Pork with Beans and Fresh Tomato Salsa

Serves: 8-10

Ingredients

Pork with Beans

• 2¾ cups store bought chicken stock 
• 1 cup orange juice
• ½ cup chopped cilantro
• 1 medium orange, quartered
• 1¼ tsp. salt, divided
• 1¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper, divided
• 4 slices bacon, chopped
• 1 (2½ lbs.) bone-in pork shoulder
• 1 lb. dried black beans
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 6 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 Tbsp. dry oregano leaves
• 2 tsp. paprika
• 2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1½ tsp. crushed red pepper
• 1 bay leaf

Tomato Salsa

• 1½ cups chopped tomato
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• ¼ cup chopped red onion
• ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 Tbsp. lime juice
• salt & pepper

Instructions

1. Combine the first 4 ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. Stir in ¾ teaspoon salt and ¾ teaspoon black pepper.
2. Place bacon in a large skillet over medium heat; cook until crisp, about 5-6 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon, leaving the drippings in the skillet. Place the bacon in a slow cooker.
3. Sprinkle pork with ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Turn the skillet up to medium-hight heat and add pork to the drippings in the skillet; cook 8 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Add pork to the slow cooker. Pour uncooked beans around the pork.
4. Return skillet to medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; saute for 3 minutes. Add oregano, paprika, cumin, and crushed red pepper; saute 1 minute. Add orange mixture and bay leaf to pan; bring to a boil and cook 1 minute, scraping browned bits. Pour onion mixture over pork. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or until pork is very tender and beans are done.
5. Shred pork; discard bones and bay leaf. Taste for seasoning and add additional salt and pepper, if desired.
6. In a small bowl, combine tomato, jalapeno, garlic, red onion, cilantro, olive oil, and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper according to taste.
7. Options for serving (1) rice, pork and salsa bowl (2) pork and salsa over chopped crispy romaine (3) rice, pork and salsa burrito (4) eggs, pork and salsa breakfast bowl