Michael Richards
TVWBB Emerald Member
I have never had a cook go this wrong since I started Smoking and BBQing and OH MY was the crash hard because there was such high hopes and so much joy going on around this cook until in the last minute... disaster! This was my second go at Smoked Carnitas and I was following the same basic recipe (that I had amazing success with the first attempt) I made the first time. The two major differences were I was going to do a smaller cook this time as I did a double recipe the first attempt, and I was changing a few things up to hopefully turn up the flavor in this dish. The first difference would come to play a major role in the down fall and the loss of possibility for a great dish. So this meal was to be a three day investment. Prep on Monday, Cook on Tuesday, fry up and eat on Wednesday. I has so much fun on Monday cutting up and prepping a pork shoulder for three different cooks. The plate on the far right is for the Carnitas.
Then I mixed up a double batch of my favorite Mexican marinate/pasta/rub and got it in a zip lock bag to rest overnight. This was one of the ways I was attempting to turn up the flavor on this meal. I also got the smoker all ready to go so all I had to do was light the coal (all ready in the chimney with fire starters ready to go) when I got home from work on Tuesday.
I got home yesterday and got the minion method coals started and got the pork out and gave it a heavy double coat of the two store bought Mexican style rubs I had and then onto the smoker. At this point the house smelled great from the smells of the marinate and the rubs and as soon as I put in on the smoker it started to fill the air with amazing aromas of peach and pecan wood, charcoal, and Mexican pork goodness. This became one of the key noteworthy comments about this cook. It quickly become and maintained being one of the best smelling cooks from start to finish that I have ever made in my backyard. My family was already extremely excited for this cook, but the amazing intensity of the perfect smell during the cook only increased their excitement.
The WSM 14 kicked butt, locking into the 230's and never leaving that 10 degree window without any work from 4:30 pm until 7:30 pm when it was time to for the smoke session to be over and then the braising stage to begin. I was doing yardwork since 6 pm taking in the smell. It was pretty hot outside, but I did not care I was loving the evening, so I gathered the items I needed for the next phase of the cook and took it all outside and did that whole process right next to the smoker.
The first time I made this meal I had a lot more pork as I doubled the recipe and this pot was nearly overflowing. This time it was not near as full. So I took the water pan out of the WSM, opened every vent up, gave the coals a stir, and the pot with lid on went back on the WSM by 8 pm. The WSM stayed between 330 and 350 for the next hour, but then from 9 until 10 pm it climbed into the 370's. I decided with those higher temps and smaller cook, that I really thought it should be done and that I was going to take it at 10 pm, all three kids saying they wanted to a taste. I went outside, head lamp on having the same thought I had had 20 times in the last few hours 'that smells amazing' and took the pot out of the WSM. When I lifted the lid I was met with this!
All the water/moisture had evaporated and it was no longer braising, but burning to the pan. The smell was amazing, but the visual was horrifying. I went to removing and scraping all that I could and got this below. We all took a taste test at this point and it was amazing. We all shared a tender piece it was sublime! However after letting this sit cover for 2 hours, hoping trapping the moisture would help soften it up, I went to pull it. Some pieces were so hard it was un-edible, other pieces where so dry they turned to dust as I went to pull it and overall the bowl of pulled pork Carnitas just looks like a sad sad site.
After removing all the un-edible bits I had about half what I though I would end up with and even that much does not look good. I saved it and am going to tell the kids to try it for lunch today (when I am not there to see the horror show) and I will be making Pasta in Red Sauce with Italian Sausage, onions, and peppers for dinner tonight (in the house).
The kids are going to be so disappointed (they were in bed by the time I pulled it), they were all looking forward to this meal tonight. I think I will be going out and getting another pork shoulder to get back onto the proverbial horse in the next day or two and attempt this meal again. We are going to my mother in laws again on Saturday for another hard day of packing to help her get ready to move out and get her house on the market in the next few weeks. This would be great to have cooked on Friday night and have ready to take there for dinner!
Then I mixed up a double batch of my favorite Mexican marinate/pasta/rub and got it in a zip lock bag to rest overnight. This was one of the ways I was attempting to turn up the flavor on this meal. I also got the smoker all ready to go so all I had to do was light the coal (all ready in the chimney with fire starters ready to go) when I got home from work on Tuesday.
I got home yesterday and got the minion method coals started and got the pork out and gave it a heavy double coat of the two store bought Mexican style rubs I had and then onto the smoker. At this point the house smelled great from the smells of the marinate and the rubs and as soon as I put in on the smoker it started to fill the air with amazing aromas of peach and pecan wood, charcoal, and Mexican pork goodness. This became one of the key noteworthy comments about this cook. It quickly become and maintained being one of the best smelling cooks from start to finish that I have ever made in my backyard. My family was already extremely excited for this cook, but the amazing intensity of the perfect smell during the cook only increased their excitement.
The WSM 14 kicked butt, locking into the 230's and never leaving that 10 degree window without any work from 4:30 pm until 7:30 pm when it was time to for the smoke session to be over and then the braising stage to begin. I was doing yardwork since 6 pm taking in the smell. It was pretty hot outside, but I did not care I was loving the evening, so I gathered the items I needed for the next phase of the cook and took it all outside and did that whole process right next to the smoker.
The first time I made this meal I had a lot more pork as I doubled the recipe and this pot was nearly overflowing. This time it was not near as full. So I took the water pan out of the WSM, opened every vent up, gave the coals a stir, and the pot with lid on went back on the WSM by 8 pm. The WSM stayed between 330 and 350 for the next hour, but then from 9 until 10 pm it climbed into the 370's. I decided with those higher temps and smaller cook, that I really thought it should be done and that I was going to take it at 10 pm, all three kids saying they wanted to a taste. I went outside, head lamp on having the same thought I had had 20 times in the last few hours 'that smells amazing' and took the pot out of the WSM. When I lifted the lid I was met with this!
All the water/moisture had evaporated and it was no longer braising, but burning to the pan. The smell was amazing, but the visual was horrifying. I went to removing and scraping all that I could and got this below. We all took a taste test at this point and it was amazing. We all shared a tender piece it was sublime! However after letting this sit cover for 2 hours, hoping trapping the moisture would help soften it up, I went to pull it. Some pieces were so hard it was un-edible, other pieces where so dry they turned to dust as I went to pull it and overall the bowl of pulled pork Carnitas just looks like a sad sad site.
After removing all the un-edible bits I had about half what I though I would end up with and even that much does not look good. I saved it and am going to tell the kids to try it for lunch today (when I am not there to see the horror show) and I will be making Pasta in Red Sauce with Italian Sausage, onions, and peppers for dinner tonight (in the house).
The kids are going to be so disappointed (they were in bed by the time I pulled it), they were all looking forward to this meal tonight. I think I will be going out and getting another pork shoulder to get back onto the proverbial horse in the next day or two and attempt this meal again. We are going to my mother in laws again on Saturday for another hard day of packing to help her get ready to move out and get her house on the market in the next few weeks. This would be great to have cooked on Friday night and have ready to take there for dinner!
Oh yeah, I’ve tried to erase those sad memories.
