Post by jogoliad on Sept 13, 2010 13:56:38 GMT -5
This is one of those recipes that people will argue about. Some say carnitas are roasted, some grill them. Some eat them in big chunks, some insist they must be pulled apart with two forks so you could put on tortillas.
Really, I don't think it matters much. Just what you're used to. Here's how I do it.
Carnitas
3-4 lbs pork shoulder
1/2 bulb garlic (about ten cloves)
1 cup oil
seasoning salt
salt
pepper
My store has carnitas already cut and ready to go. If yours doesn't, get yourself a pork shoulder or boston butt. Trim off much of the thick fat (not all the fat or it won't be juicy and tender, just any huge rinds of fat). You want to carve the shoulder into roughly half-pound chunks, no more than two inches thick. They'll look like smallish roasts.
In a small saucepot, set a cup of oil to simmer very slowly. You want it warm, hot even, but not sizzling. Peel your garlic and roughly chop it up until no piece is bigger than a peppercorn. Throw the garlic in the oil and let it gently simmer for about an hour. The point behind this is merely to get the oil all lovely and garlicky-flavored. After an hour your garlic should be just lightly browned if you had the heat set low enough to do this properly.
Let the oil cool. Pour it all over the pork, with the chopped garlic included. Toss on just a bit, perhaps a teaspoon or so, of seasoning salt, some salt and pepper. Cover your bowl tightly and set it in the fridge.
Marinate for a day. I set mine to marinate overnight and start cooking it around three the next day. An extra day would not be amiss. It will not be the same if you marinate for less time, because it won't soak up all the good flavor and the oil helps for that really browned, tasty crust.
I slap mine on the grill, about medium heat, with another good thick shaking of season-all salt on all sides. It'll sizzle and flare up; just use a squirt bottle on the worst flames. After forty-five minutes, flip it. You may need to fire up the charcoal about now as well, though the second side does not need to be cooked with as much heat.
They're done when they're fork-tender. Allow to rest about twenty minutes and then slice into big slices.
Really, I don't think it matters much. Just what you're used to. Here's how I do it.
Carnitas
3-4 lbs pork shoulder
1/2 bulb garlic (about ten cloves)
1 cup oil
seasoning salt
salt
pepper
My store has carnitas already cut and ready to go. If yours doesn't, get yourself a pork shoulder or boston butt. Trim off much of the thick fat (not all the fat or it won't be juicy and tender, just any huge rinds of fat). You want to carve the shoulder into roughly half-pound chunks, no more than two inches thick. They'll look like smallish roasts.
In a small saucepot, set a cup of oil to simmer very slowly. You want it warm, hot even, but not sizzling. Peel your garlic and roughly chop it up until no piece is bigger than a peppercorn. Throw the garlic in the oil and let it gently simmer for about an hour. The point behind this is merely to get the oil all lovely and garlicky-flavored. After an hour your garlic should be just lightly browned if you had the heat set low enough to do this properly.
Let the oil cool. Pour it all over the pork, with the chopped garlic included. Toss on just a bit, perhaps a teaspoon or so, of seasoning salt, some salt and pepper. Cover your bowl tightly and set it in the fridge.
Marinate for a day. I set mine to marinate overnight and start cooking it around three the next day. An extra day would not be amiss. It will not be the same if you marinate for less time, because it won't soak up all the good flavor and the oil helps for that really browned, tasty crust.
I slap mine on the grill, about medium heat, with another good thick shaking of season-all salt on all sides. It'll sizzle and flare up; just use a squirt bottle on the worst flames. After forty-five minutes, flip it. You may need to fire up the charcoal about now as well, though the second side does not need to be cooked with as much heat.
They're done when they're fork-tender. Allow to rest about twenty minutes and then slice into big slices.