Slow Cooker Garlic Cuban Pork

Crockpot Garlic Cuban Pork comes out packed with flavor and perfectly tender. This easy Cuban pork dish is made with a combination of orange and lime juice, cumin, and garlic. The ingredients are simple but the flavors are amazing. 

It's no secret that pork is one of my favorite lean meats and then put it in the slow cooker? So good. This way of cooking it guarantees fork-tender, delicious pork every time and also means hardly any work. Just throw a few things in the slow cooker in the morning and by dinner time everything is ready.

Serve it in a traditional manner with steamed rice and black beans, it's an easy dinner everyone will love. You can also turn this into really tasty pork tacos with black beans and slaw.

While I've shared a recipe for just plain slow cooker pork before, I decided to jazz this one up a bit with the garlic and Cuban flavors. What does that mean, exactly? Well, when you add some citrus juice, lots of garlic, and Cuban spices, your taste buds get whisked away. 

What Makes Cuban Food Cuban?

Cuban food is actually a blend of several different regional foods, like Spanish, African, and that of several Caribbean islands. Cuban cooking often features the use of bay leaves, oregano, cumin, garlic, and oregano and often some time of acid like vinegar or citrus juices.

Popular Cuban dishes you may have heard of include Arroz con Pollo (rice with chicken), Ropa Vieja (shredded beef and tomatoes served over rice), and Picadillo (ground beef with olives, potatoes, and green beans).

How to Serve This Dish?

Some great ways to serve this Slow Cooker Garlic Cuban Pork include:

• Over rice with some lovely black beans on the side.
• With baked plantains.
• Stuffed in a slider bun and topped with some shredded cabbage, and some spicy hot sauce.
• Served inside a spaghetti squash.
• Served plain with a side of mashed potatoes or mashed cauliflower potatoes.
• Pressed into a panini with some thin panini bread or you could even use naan. Add pickles, swiss cheese, and thinly sliced deli ham to make it Cuban style.
• Put on top of or next to roasted cauliflower.
• Mixed into mac and cheese.
• Stuffed into grilled cheese or quesadillas with some low-fat cheese.

What Can I Use for Shredded Pork?

I almost always use a pork shoulder when I slow cook pork. I find that it shreds easily and is super tasty and moist. Other kinds of pork cuts you could use in the slow cooker include:

• Shoulder roast
• Blade roast
• Picnic roast
• Pork butt
• Pork steaks
• Blade roast
• Pork tenderloin

Is It Possible to Overcook Pork in a Slow Cooker?

You only have to cook this pork shoulder on low for 8 hours. It's hard to overcook anything in the slow cooker on "low" (unless you forget about it for a day or something). That being said, if you put the setting on "high," you might find you end up overcooking the meat as the crock will be too hot and there won't be enough moisture to get that nice, soft, juicy shred you want.

Side Dishes to Serve with Slow Cooker Garlic Cuban Pork

I've mentioned lots of ways to serve this Cuban shredded pork, but what about sides? I'm all about the sides. I always serve at least one vegetable as a side, usually two. Here are some of my favorite side dishes that go with this pork, are easy to make, filling, and nutritious.

• Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice is low-carb, nutritious, counts as both a veggie and a "grain" (sort of) and pairs nicely with the flavors in the Cuban Pork.
• Salads are always a great choice with any meal I think. I always throw together a simple side with any greens I have to use up and all my favorite veggie toppings. Add a low-calorie dressing to top it all off.
• I've been known to microwave a bag of frozen veggies (make sure they are in the kind of bag that's meant to be microwaved) to serve on the side of lots of dishes. There's zero shame in using frozen veggies, and many are already flavored or sauced which makes it even easier!
• Roasted veggies are also another favorite side dish of mine. These Roasted Green Beans would complement the pork and are easy to roast up in a hurry.
• Mashed potatoes are always a great accompaniment to just about any meat as well. One of my favorite recipes is for these Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes. Just be sure to brush your teeth after this garlic-heavy meal.
• Take inspiration from this Slow Cooker Chorizo Pork and serve this with a tasty cabbage slaw.