Slow Cooker Chicken Carnitas

Sauce - To the canister of a high-speed blender, add the orange juice, lime juice, garlic, chipotles and some adobo sauce (more or less depending on your preference for spiciness), jalapeno, cumin, chili powder, Mexican oregano, salt, pepper, and blend on high speed, until smooth and combined.

Evenly pour the sauce over the chicken.

Then pour the Coke over the chicken, add the bay leaves, and lightly stir and make sure the chicken is fully submerged. Tip - If you can find Mexican Coke at a place like BevMo or even Home Depot, it has a bit more sugar and the carnitas are just that much better. But if you don't have it, regular Coke is just fine.

Slow Cooking - Place the lid on the slow cooker, and cook on LOW for about 6 hours or on HIGH for about 4 hours. Tip - Chicken is done when it seems to give away easily when touched with a fork signifying it will shred easily, and it reaches an internal temp of 165F as measured with a digital thermometer. Better not to guess!

Shredding - Remove the bay leaves and then shred the cooked chicken. Tips - You can do this right in your Crock-Pot with a handheld electric mixer. If there's a lot of juice, first remove that by submerging a 1-cup measuring cup into the liquid and removing some of it, and place it in a separate bowl rather than discarding it. Then, with the mixer on low to medium speed, shred the chicken. You can also shred the chicken with two forks on a cutting board. Don't do it in your slow cooker because the forks could accidentally scratch it.

If desired, add back in and removed cooking juices (save any in small airtight container in the fridge; you may want it to pour over leftovers), and if time permits, allow the chicken to sit in the cooking juices for about 30 minutes, which adds flavor and prevents dryness.

Broiling - Move an oven rack to the top position and turn your broiler to HIGH.

Place the shredded chicken on a large, foil-lined or well-sprayed baking sheet. Tip - If your baking sheets are a bit smaller, use two and do this in batches rather than cramming and crowding everything onto one.

Broil for about 5 minutes to add a bit of crispiness to the chicken, which is what carnitas are known for. Tips - Do not broil past the stage of just a bit of light crispiness and "toasting" the tips or ends of the meat because it will turn dry and tough; some parts will be drier and crispier, and others will stay moister. Don't walk away from your kitchen or accidentally forget about it because things can go from underdone to burnt in 1 minute flat under a hot broiler. Rotate the pan once midway through broiling for optimal results.