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Author Topic: Carnitas  (Read 5980 times)

Offline euge

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Re: Carnitas
« Reply #15 on: January 03, 2014, 04:35:16 pm »
I saw a Colorado chef on Travel channel show (Meat) today make them with country-style ribs. Looked dead simple. She did it in a dutch-oven stove-top
The first principle is that you must not fool yourself, and you are the easiest person to fool. -Richard P. Feynman

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Offline HoosierBrew

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Re: Carnitas
« Reply #16 on: January 03, 2014, 04:45:40 pm »


Seriously...nothing makes my mouth water like the thought of crispy carnitas.  Thanks.



+10.  I love carnitas.  I make tacos with mine, with cilantro, chopped onion and this fire roasted salsa :

                                              Puree:
                                              8 fire (or oven) roasted tomatillos
                                              4         "          roasted serrano peppers  (or amount for desired heat)
                                              1 medium         roasted onion
                                              Roasted garlic
                                              1 -2 Dried Ancho peppers (seeded,soaked in hot water for 1 hour, then pureed
                                              with other ingredients)
                                              Pinch of cumin and Mexican oregano
                                              Salt and pepper

                              I use corn tortillas of course.  Pretty much perfect tacos in my book !! Damn...hungry now.
                                             
Jon H.

Offline morticaixavier

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Re: Carnitas
« Reply #17 on: January 03, 2014, 04:48:07 pm »
Man, this is giving me an itch to cook. I'm going to need to figure out a "light" version, though since I'm trying desperately to lose the extra weight I've put on this year (and then some). I'll probably start with a pork tenderloin braised in Mojo with a little olive oil. Then I'll cut it into some large chunks, pan sear, maybe throw it back into the oven in the skillet for a bit, then shred it up. The key is going to be figuring out how to keep it moist without adding too much fat back in. Hopefully the acid in the Mojo will help a bit.

not to encourage blatant carnivory, but eating some rich fatty meat is a good way to fill your belly on calories that won't... well fill your belly  ;)

As long as your heart is in good shape that is. That's why the atkins thing works. the body is crap at converting fat and protein into body fat and a champ at converting carbs into body fat.
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Offline Jimmy K

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Re: Carnitas
« Reply #18 on: January 23, 2014, 06:35:16 pm »
I saw a Colorado chef on Travel channel show (Meat) today make them with country-style ribs. Looked dead simple. She did it in a dutch-oven stove-top
A Honduran girl I know makes them with country style ribs. They are awesome! Marinated with some sort of sour oranges too.
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Offline klickitat jim

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Re: Carnitas
« Reply #19 on: January 23, 2014, 10:24:02 pm »
I routinely smoke a pork butt

In the day, this was one of my pickup lines. It must be a "Jim" thing.

Offline euge

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Re: Carnitas
« Reply #20 on: February 04, 2014, 12:40:13 pm »
Sunday I made carnitas and they were the best ever.

We get vac packages of trimmed butt pieces "pork for carnitas" at HEB. I get about a kilo usually and make sausage with it. However this time I took half and actually made carnitas!

500g Pork butt pieces sliced into inch strips.
1/4 large red onion sliced
4 garlic cloves chopped rough
Dried marjoram and mexican oregano about 1/2 tsp each
1 bay leaf crunbled
2 chile de arbol crumbled
Salt and fresh cracked pepper about a tsp each

Lay the pork evenly in roasting pan so that they form a single layer but take up most of the space in the pan. Sprinkle other ingredients evenly over the meat with onions and garlic going on last. Then move onto the liquid phase.

The liquid component:

1/2 cup port wine
1/2 cup milk or buttermilk
juice of one lemon
pinch of cinnamon
2 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin

Mix this well and gently pour into the roasting pan taking care not to disturb the layer. Should be enough to just co ver the meat. If not use a bit of water. Place lemon halves on top cut side down. Cover pan with foil and braise in 225* oven for 2.25 hrs.

After braising test for tenderness, and set pan aside to cool for 25 minutes or so. Turn oven to 450* Then decant cooking liquid into a fat separator and let the oil rise to the top- about five minutes. Then pour the "juice" out from under the fat into a small sauce-pan. Pour the fat back over the meat in the roasting pan. Place the uncovered pan in hot oven and give a shake every ten minutes while on the stove the sauce pan reduces the braising liquid by 1/2  or a bit less till it is a bit syrupy like thin bbq sauce. This goes over the crispy meat by the second or third shake and should only take at most another 10 minutes to evaporate and coat the tender crispy pork.

This renders a crispy yet slightly gooey tender falling apart mix of caramelized carnitas. Served on fresh corn tortillas.

I tend to do stuff like this in the toaster oven out in the garage to keep the heat and cooking odors to a minimum.
The first principle is that you must not fool yourself, and you are the easiest person to fool. -Richard P. Feynman

Laws are spider-webs, which catch the little flies, but cannot hold the big ones. -Anacharsis

Offline pinnah

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Re: Carnitas
« Reply #21 on: February 07, 2014, 10:37:32 am »
Holy carnitas.  That sounds fantastic euge. And here it is almost lunchtime.
I think I am going to make some more this weekend.  I still have a spare pork butt in the freezer. :)

I had to Google fat separator.  All you alls are fancy. :P