Carnitas

[Jaymes]

Carnitas

• 1 lb pork shoulder, cubed
  
• 1/2 c beer, tequila,chicken or beef broth, vinegar, lemon juice or orange juice, pick one
  
• juice from 1/2 lime
  
• 1 onion, chopped
  
• chipotles to taste
  
• garlic to taste
  
• cumin to taste
  

Dust pork cubes with above and let them set in the fridge for several hours beforehand.

Place in Dutch oven. (You can use a large saucepan, but remember that you will eventually be frying them, or putting them under the broiler, or doing something else to crisp them, so you need a large surface area.) Add water just to cover. Simmer, partially covered, till all water is gone and meat starts frying in its own rendered fat. Reduce heat and fry, stirring frequently, till pieces are evenly browned.

So now, you’ve boiled your carnitas down, and you’re frying them in the fat, and you think, “Boy, it’d probably be good if those suckers were caramelized.”

I think it would, anyway. Of course, not everyone likes sweetness in their meat, but plenty do. If you’re one of them, add a little sugar to the water when you add your spices. Choices here are syrups, like Caro or Molasses, or Maple, or brown sugar. I add 2 T brown sugar, and 1 T sorghum (not too much for two pounds of meat, but enough to help brown and caramelize it). Mi amiga, on the other hand, caramelizes a cup of brown sugar in another pan, and then pours it over her browned carnitas, stirring and cooking over high heat for another ten-fifteen minutes or so, until the cubes are well caramelized.

Rather than browning your carnitas in the fat on top of the stove, many people finish them in an oven on high heat, or under the broiler.

Okay, so now you’ve got your crispy carnitas. What do you do with them? The answer, of course, is “anything you want.”

You can just squeeze a little extra lemon or lime over them and serve as is, with some salsa or pico de gallo and guacamole and refried beans alongside. Or, you can: arrange on top of arroz; or as a garnish on a bowl of charro beans; or with chopped onion and cilantro in soft tacos or burritos or quesadillas; or whatever you want. Sometimes when I had my kids at home, I’d make a kind of Mexican gravy with milk and onions and chopped green chiles, and pour over and serve as a main dish.

Keywords: Pork, Mexican

( RG377 )