# Carnitas??



## SpikeC (Jun 11, 2012)

There are many carnitas approaches out there, do any of you guys have one that you think is the best? I got a chunk of pork shoulder on sale and I want to do carnitas!!


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## stereo.pete (Jun 11, 2012)

Yes, please let us know, I would love to hear as well. Now if I remember correctly I roasted a pork butt for approximately 12 hours at 225 in the oven. Prior to that I marinated it in onions, fresh squeezed orange juice, paprika and garlic powder. I shredded it and made tacos and they were phenomenal. Not quite carnitas but the best damn pork tacos I've ever had in Chicago.


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## EdipisReks (Jun 11, 2012)

SpikeC said:


> There are many carnitas approaches out there, do any of you guys have one that you think is the best? I got a chunk of pork shoulder on sale and I want to do carnitas!!



Spike, my friend, do it slow and you can't do it wrong.


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## SpikeC (Jun 11, 2012)

One way that seemed to make sense to me was to but the pork in a pot with water and simmer it for 4 hours or so until the water was gone, then browning in the rendered fat.


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## Pabloz (Jun 11, 2012)

Here is how I remember it from El Paso:

Get a really big cast iron kettle hanging on a tripod and start a wood fire under it.....scrap lumber from construction sites, fire wood etc. Start with about 20#'s pork fat and render out the lard and then scoop out the chicharones. Cool on a metal wire screen, from one of your windows, supported by 4 red bricks on the picknick table. Eat with Chulola or Tabasco while drinking Modelo Especial or your favorite Mexican beer, the Patron come later. Next throw in about 15#'s diced pork (1-2" cubes) that have been seasoned with Sazon and resting in the fridge since day before yesterday. Let sizzle in the rendered lard a little while, add about 1 beer or so, stirring constantly with the oar from you car top fishing boat. Add, 5#'s orange, lemon and lime slices, 1 gallon milk, one 750ml bottle cheap tequilla and the final secret ingredient is the ash from all the Marlboro smoking hermanos. Cook until crispy outside and white, not pink, in the middle. When you are near the end of cooking the meat, 2-3 minute or another beer, add a couple of pounds of whole jalapenos stem and all. Scoop out and drain on the same screen that had the chicharones. Serve with warm corn tortillas by the kilo, guacamole, pico de gallo, the fried whole jalapenos y Patron....SALUD!!!

Some of the best friendship and outdoor eats I ever remember having!!!!


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## SpikeC (Jun 11, 2012)

What if you don't have a fishing boat?


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## stereo.pete (Jun 11, 2012)

Pabloz said:


> Here is how I remember it from El Paso:
> 
> Get a really big cast iron kettle hanging on a tripod and start a wood fire under it.....scrap lumber from construction sites, fire wood etc. Start with about 20#'s pork fat and render out the lard and then scoop out the chicharones. Cool on a metal wire screen, from one of your windows, supported by 4 red bricks on the picknick table. Eat with Chulola or Tabasco while drinking Modelo Especial or your favorite Mexican beer, the Patron come later. Next throw in about 15#'s diced pork (1-2" cubes) that have been seasoned with Sazon and resting in the fridge since day before yesterday. Let sizzle in the rendered lard a little while, add about 1 beer or so, stirring constantly with the oar from you car top fishing boat. Add, 5#'s orange, lemon and lime slices, 1 gallon milk, one 750ml bottle cheap tequilla and the final secret ingredient is the ash from all the Marlboro smoking hermanos. Cook until crispy outside and white, not pink, in the middle. When you are near the end of cooking the meat, 2-3 minute or another beer, add a couple of pounds of whole jalapenos stem and all. Scoop out and drain on the same screen that had the chicharones. Serve with warm corn tortillas by the kilo, guacamole, pico de gallo, the fried whole jalapenos y Patron....SALUD!!!
> 
> Some of the best friendship and outdoor eats I ever remember having!!!!



Yeah, what Paul said... That sounds like the best time ever!


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## SpikeC (Jun 11, 2012)

Would it be accurate to consider carnitas to be pork confit?


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## G-rat (Jun 11, 2012)

Pabloz said:


> Here is how I remember it from El Paso:
> 
> Get a really big cast iron kettle hanging on a tripod and start a wood fire under it.....scrap lumber from construction sites, fire wood etc. Start with about 20#'s pork fat and render out the lard and then scoop out the chicharones. Cool on a metal wire screen, from one of your windows, supported by 4 red bricks on the picknick table. Eat with Chulola or Tabasco while drinking Modelo Especial or your favorite Mexican beer, the Patron come later. Next throw in about 15#'s diced pork (1-2" cubes) that have been seasoned with Sazon and resting in the fridge since day before yesterday. Let sizzle in the rendered lard a little while, add about 1 beer or so, stirring constantly with the oar from you car top fishing boat. Add, 5#'s orange, lemon and lime slices, 1 gallon milk, one 750ml bottle cheap tequilla and the final secret ingredient is the ash from all the Marlboro smoking hermanos. Cook until crispy outside and white, not pink, in the middle. When you are near the end of cooking the meat, 2-3 minute or another beer, add a couple of pounds of whole jalapenos stem and all. Scoop out and drain on the same screen that had the chicharones. Serve with warm corn tortillas by the kilo, guacamole, pico de gallo, the fried whole jalapenos y Patron....SALUD!!!
> 
> Some of the best friendship and outdoor eats I ever remember having!!!!



This is the gospel of carnitas.


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## G-rat (Jun 11, 2012)

SpikeC said:


> Would it be accurate to consider carnitas to be pork confit?



A really quick confit but YES


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## mhlee (Jun 11, 2012)

SpikeC said:


> One way that seemed to make sense to me was to but the pork in a pot with water and simmer it for 4 hours or so until the water was gone, then browning in the rendered fat.



IIRC, Rick Bayless's recipe for carnitas is very similar to this. I've done this and it works quite well.  However, be sure to include a lot of fat in the pot with the water; the fat will render so you will have enough lard to brown the pieces of pork.


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## mhlee (Jun 11, 2012)

SpikeC said:


> Would it be accurate to consider carnitas to be pork confit?



I recall reading that how carnitas is made depends on the region. The slow fry method is, IIRC, Michoacan style. 

Personally, I prefer this the most. Other styles of carnitas, that are roasted or braised, don't have the nice crunchy texture that I associate with the best carnitas.


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## Pabloz (Jun 11, 2012)

SpikeC said:


> What if you don't have a fishing boat?



The oar works just fine by itself.


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## SpikeC (Jun 12, 2012)

I'm finding two approaches to carnitas, one is the traditional braise, browning the meat then adding liquid for a long slow simmer. The other is simmering the meat in liquid and cooking the liquid away, then browning the meat in rendered fat. The second method should result in crispier meat, does one method have an advantage with regard to the maillard reaction?


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## steeley (Jun 14, 2012)

What no coca cola .


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## SpikeC (Jun 15, 2012)

OK, after a fair bit of research I cooked up some pork yesterday. After cutting the butt into chunks I sprinkled on some of my dry rub and a bit of extra salt, then put it into a 6 qt. stock pot.



I juiced an orange, a lemon, and a lime, added 1/2 a sweet onion, 4 sliced cloves of garlic and 3 fresh bay leaves. These went into the pot with enough water to just cover.


I cooked it until the liquid evaporated and let it brown in the rendered fat.


I fried some corn tortillas and made tacos with guac, cheddar and napa slaw.


It worked out pretty well!


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## Crothcipt (Jun 15, 2012)

looks good spike.


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## Pabloz (Jun 15, 2012)

YEA MAN...I'd eat it. Next time add some elotes as a side and Patron to wash it down.


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## SpikeC (Jul 6, 2012)

Round two:
One of my local markets had "boneless Country style ribs" on sale, just slices of pork shoulder, so I brought a couple of pounds home. This time I added a soaked California chili and a bottle of lager, plus a bunch more garlic and onion.
View attachment 8400

My battery died so no finished picture, unfortunately. Tonight was burrito with the pork, some mushed avocado with lime and green onion, cheddar and rice cooked with salsa, corn, peas,garlic and carrots. My tummy is quite happy tonight.


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## Pabloz (Jul 6, 2012)

RIGHT ON Spike!!! We'll make a hermano out of you yet!!!


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## EdipisReks (Jul 6, 2012)

SpikeC said:


> OK, after a fair bit of research I cooked up some pork yesterday. After cutting the butt into chunks I sprinkled on some of my dry rub and a bit of extra salt, then put it into a 6 qt. stock pot.
> View attachment 8018
> 
> I juiced an orange, a lemon, and a lime, added 1/2 a sweet onion, 4 sliced cloves of garlic and 3 fresh bay leaves. These went into the pot with enough water to just cover.
> ...



that looks great!


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## Jim (Jul 6, 2012)

Sounds good spike. Blazing a new trail.


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## Lucretia (Jul 6, 2012)

Sounds like if you give a call right when you put it on to simmer, I can be there in time for dinner. Looks great!


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## Jay (Jul 7, 2012)

Who has a hard core tacos al pastor recipe for me?


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## SpikeC (Jul 14, 2012)

Round 3 today- I toasted 2 California chilis and a home grown and smoked chipolte, soaked and blended to a paste, and fried with a bunched of chopped garlic and onion. I got 4 pounds of shoulder (on sale) and cut it up and seasoned with my butt rub, chili powder and oregano and let it sit in the fridge over night. The orange lemon and lime juice and beer for liquid and it cooked down for about 5 hours till the juice was gone. 
This just keeps getting better! Tonight it was on the side of a salad of romaine and avocado with refer pickled cauliflower and artichoke hearts. 
I'm thinking burritos tomorrow, maybe.


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## Mike9 (Jul 15, 2012)

I like Bayless's method and when pork shoulder is on sale I have the meat guy slice it 1-1/2" thick. For a party I made pork and goat carnitas and while the goat was challenging and required added fat and longer covered cooking I pulled it off and there was not much left at the end of the night. I do deviate by using a seasoning I make instead of straight salt like Rick does.


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## SpikeC (Jul 15, 2012)

I cooked some rice using salsa for part of the liquid and had the carnitas on it with sliced avocado. It was pretty yummy I would say.


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## JasonD (Jul 20, 2012)

Thanks for this recipe/technique! Did my first carnitas today with the Bayless method and using the fresh citrus juice/beer for the cooking liquid. It turned out really awesome! I'm sorry I only cooked half of the pork shoulder. Hehe made my own "at-home Chipotle" and it was killer.


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## SpikeC (Jul 20, 2012)

The chipotle that I used was from some red jalapeño that I smoked in the BGE!


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## EdipisReks (Jul 20, 2012)

SpikeC said:


> The chipotle that I used was from some red jalapeño that I smoked in the BGE!



i seriously need to get one of those things.


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## Shinob1 (Sep 9, 2012)

So when you're simmering this, I assume it's on a burner on low? Or are you sticking it in the oven? I want to give this a try as I have been really craving some carnitas.


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## SpikeC (Sep 9, 2012)

On the stove top, as low as it will go. I'm thinking of trying it in a pressure cooker, though!


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## Shinob1 (Sep 9, 2012)

Nice - how long did you let it cook in the fat after the liquid had evaporated?


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## SpikeC (Sep 9, 2012)

I used some soon after the liquid was gone, butt most got reheated in the Griswold with the grease!


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