Pork for tacos?


 

ChadVKealey

TVWBB Pro
anyone have a good cuban/mexican style recipe for pork butt/shoulder? For our next scout camping trip, I'm planning a taco bar with pork, beef and chicken and all the usual toppings. I'm thinking my usual pulled pork recipe wouldn't really fit with tacos. Any suggestions?
 
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My son takes my pulled pork, fries it in oil and in another pan he starts a taco shell frying, he then adds the pulled pork to the taco, frying it (squishing it down) one word: Amazing

If I could add to that one word I would say: Heart-attack waiting to happen, LOL
But what a way to go
 
So, from all the recipes I've found for "Carnitas", it seems like the basic spice mix is similar (cumin, chili powder, garlic), but with orange juice replacing the sweet component typically used (brown sugar). I would guess that cilantro would fit into the picture as well.

As for "finishing" the carnitas (it seems they are traditionally pan- or griddle-fried to crisp up after braising/slow cooking), we have a couple big griddles, so that shouldn't be too difficult to replicate.

I've got a smallish (6#) boneless butt in the freezer, so I think I'll pick up some oranges and cilantro and experiment next weekend. I've been wanting to try cooking butt on the JJ anyway. It'd also be a chance to use my new lodge griddle!
 
My Bro clued me in on this tip from his Mexican MIL. Add some sweetened condensed milk ( like half a small can ) to the braise. ( the milk reduces and caramelizes and adds another sweet layer )
I tried it and liked it!

Tim
 
IMO carnitas aren't carnitas unless they are braised in lard and that takes quite a while. Some other Mexican pork styles are pork adobada, pork avodada, al pastor, salsa verde pork and Chicharron are a few styles that I can think of off the top of my head.
 
I use this recipe from America's Test Kitchen. It is cooked in a dutch oven. The recipe calls for it to be in the oven but you can adapt it for the WSM. You will need to put it under the broiler for a few minutes to get those crunchy bits that define carnitas. Came out very good.

Ingredients
Pork
• 1(3 1/2-to 4-pound) boneless pork butt, fat cap trimmed to 1/8 inch thick, cut into 2-inch chunks
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 1teaspoon ground cumin
• 1small onion, peeled and halved
• 2 bay leaves
• 1teaspoon dried oregano
• 2tablespoons juice from 1 lime
• 2cups water
• 1medium orange, halved
Tortillas and Garnishes
• 18(6-inch) corn tortillas, warmed
• Lime wedges
• Minced white or red onion
• Fresh cilantro leaves
• Thinly sliced radishes
• Sour cream
Instructions
• 1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Combine pork, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, cumin, onion, bay leaves, oregano, lime juice, and water in large Dutch oven (liquid should just barely cover meat). Juice orange into medium bowl and remove any seeds (you should have about 1/3 cup juice). Add juice and spent orange halves to pot. Bring mixture to simmer over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Cover pot and transfer to oven; cook until meat is soft and falls apart when prodded with fork, about 2 hours, flipping pieces of meat once during cooking.
• 2. Remove pot from oven and turn oven to broil. Using slotted spoon, transfer pork to bowl; remove orange halves, onion, and bay leaves from cooking liquid and discard (do not skim fat from liquid). Place pot over high heat (use caution, as handles will be very hot) and simmer liquid, stirring frequently, until thick and syrupy (heatsafe spatula should leave wide trail when dragged through glaze), 8 to 12 minutes. You should have about 1 cup reduced liquid.
• 3. Using 2 forks, pull each piece of pork in half. Fold in reduced liquid; season with salt and pepper to taste. Spread pork in even layer on wire rack set inside rimmed baking sheet or on broiler pan (meat should cover almost entire surface of rack or broiler pan). Place baking sheet on lower-middle rack and broil until top of meat is well browned (but not charred) and edges are slightly crisp, 5 to 8 minutes. Using wide metal spatula, flip pieces of meat and continue to broil until top is well browned and edges are slightly crisp, 5 to 8 minutes longer. Serve immediately with warm tortillas and garnishes.









 
When we use ( Boston
Butt) pork for tacos we usually just do salt and black pepper. The salsa is what will make the tacos great!
 
When we use ( Boston
Butt) pork for tacos we usually just do salt and black pepper. The salsa is what will make the tacos great!

I agree with this. I cook buts sometimes to keep meat in the freezer for convenience. No sauce, just salt, pepper and some garlic powder. It's good for anything. We just had pork enchiladas with a little green chile and cheese. Deeeelicious. I did something a little different this last round. I put a foil chafing dish pan below 2 shoulders, pulled the shoulders then drizzled some filtered fat back onto the meat and mixed it up. I think i helped keep the meat from drying out. Not enough to puddle up, just enough to moisten.

Let us know how it goes!
 

 

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