Carnitas

We have a house in Mexíco, and when the renovations were finished we had a fiesta for the workers. The featured course was carnitas. A whole slaughtered and butchered pig was put into s cauldron over high heat. From what I could see, the process was that the heat both boiled the water and melted the pork fat. This ultimately meant thst the water boiled away and was replaced by oil, resulting in fried pork = carnitas.

Since this is speculation on my part, I'm wondering if anyone knows if this is the actual process.

Cheers,
Michael

It is.

The water is used to temper the heat in the beginning when the fat is first rendering (it's usually just a good simmer, not a boil). This disallows for premature surface browning. (This is the same process one uses for making lard.) Once sufficient rendering has occurred and the water evaporates, the pork is allowed to cook gently in its own fat, like confit. Browning occurs at this point.

Note: Some cooks have enough rendered fat available that they skip the water and use rendered fat instead, bringing the temp up slowly. Some cooks add aromatics to the pan for flavoring. Some cooks remove much of the fat near the finish, so the meat finishes by frying in what fat remains.

Is it possible to use a butt for Carintas, and what would be the process? Trying to expand my cooking Knowledge, Thanks

Butt is more commonly used than other cuts or whole pigs.

Take a 5-lb hunk of untrimmed butt (boneless; scale up the other ingredients if using more meat) and trim the exterior of excess fat. Chop the fat and reserve it. Cut the meat into 2-inch chunks; toss with a little salt and pepper.

Remove the zest from one orange in wide strips; reserve. Halve the orange and juice it, reserving the juice.

Peel and crush 6-8 cloves of garlic (optional). Ready 2 teaspoons of Mexican oregano (optional). Open a can of Coke (optional, but quite traditional for many cooks).

Combine the meat and reserved fat with 2.5 cups water (1.5, if using the Coke), the zest, juice, and any optional ingredients in a wide-bottomed stock pot or rondeau. Bring to a boil, skimming any foam, then reduce the heat and cover. Simmer until the pork is tender, 75-90 min, usually, adding more water, a little at a time, so that the pork stays partially submerged.

Uncover the pot and raise the heat. Cook just under a full boil till, stirring often, till the liquid evaporates and the meat browns and crisp. Remove the meat, allow to cool a bit; remove the pan from the heat, discarding the garlic and zest. Chop or shred the meat and return it to the pan, warming if necessary. Serve from the pan with warm corn tortillas, salsa, cilantro, chopped fresh onion, and lime. (Some guac is a good addition as well.)

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by K Kruger:
and any optional ingredients </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
What optionals do you add? Thanks for the recipe Bud. I picked up a Butt and an orange to make the Carnitas. Everything else I have on hand. Hoping to make this up tomorrow. One ?, when adding the meat back to the pan to warm, I'm guessing it goes back in the liquid/fat left after the cook. Yummmm

Yes, it does.

As for the options, all but the Coke (I don't drink soda nor like their flavor - but try it if you're so inclined); the oregano I tend to add just for the last few minutes of the reduction phase, and I add just a little.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by K Kruger:
As for the options, all but the Coke (I don't drink soda nor like their flavor - but try it if you're so inclined); the oregano I tend to add just for the last few minutes of the reduction phase, and I add just a little. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Yeah I'll give it a go with the Coke. I noticed in the recipe you call for 2 tsp of Mexican Oregano, so you use less than that, and just at the end? I find Mexican Oregano very strong/pungent. Sweet Freedom always includes a bag of it with my pepper orders. Also what kind of salsa goes with the Carnitas. Thanks

Yeah, I just sprinkle a little over all - maybe a 1/2 t total.

A fresh salsa - one that is uncooked. Something like a salsa fresca (known here as pico de gallo) or one based on fresh chilies puréed with fresh tomato and a little garlic. If purchasing, go with Trader Joe's Salsa Autentica or the salsa casera from Herdez. Most supermarkets carry it in the 'Mexican' section. (Neither has the cooked flavor that American-made 'Mexican' salsas have and, of course, neither contains tomato paste).

I have an old (and I believe reasonably authentic) Mexican cook book that describes carnitas as "little meats." The basic procedure calls for cooking cubes of pork roast in lard. Orange slices are added along with the meat when the lard is hot, which produces the water necessary to boil.

The final product is described as having a "dry crisp exterior with a moist, succulent interior."

Dang, I'm hungry now!!!

JimT

interesting stuff. Now that the weather's turned, I was thinking of some indoor projects and confit came to mind. I've made pork rillettes which seems like a similar method minus the browning.

I'll have to check with bayless and kennedy on this subject. Not that I don't trust you Kevin , it just that I have both handy and like reading as much as I can about a topic before I try it out.

By all means, do. Iirc, Kennedy uses water to cover plus o.j., simmers till the water is gone and the fat is rendered, then allows the meat to crisp in the fat. I'm not recalling Bayless's approach.

Though Coke certainly wasn't standard many years ago, I have had carnitas cooked with it often enough (many of the times in Mexico (even in Michoacán) and in East L.A) to mention it as an option.