What is Carnitas?
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As the food generation grows with knowledge of food from around the world, new words come into the English vocabulary (well, old words, just new to us). Carnitas is one of them. In Spanish, carnitas translates as “little meats.” It’s a simple dish that’s easy on the budget.
Carnitas begin as a piece of pork with heavy marbling, like a pork shoulder. The meat braises with seasonings and lard until it’s nearly melty. Next, the pork is shredded and then roasted for crispness. In this form, it can become part of a main meal or added to things like tacos and burritos. The aroma while it cooks is astounding.
Carnitas’ Kissing Cousins
At the point where you have pulled pork… well, you have pulled pork. But it is not carnitas. Pulled pork remains soft, while carnitas receive a last round of roasting for that crunch. Barbacoa is another preparation similar to carnitas but made from beef. Like pulled pork, it’s slow-braised with adobo seasonings (sometimes marinated) but doesn’t undergo the last step, which separates carnitas from the pack.
Ingredients
- 3 ½ lbs pork butt, shoulder, or picnic pork
- 4 tbsp salt (for dry brining)
- 1 lb lard
- 2 oranges
- 1 large onion
- 6 cloves garlic
- 2 tsp oregano
- ¼ cup pink salt
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1 hardy tbs peppercorns
- 2 bay leaves
- 14 oz. liquid **
** water, stock, cola, orange juice, etc.
Instructions
- Use a good Chef’s Knife to cut the pork into chunks (for this size about 6 pieces).
- Sprinkle the pork with the salt and let it sit for an hour in the refrigerator
- Use a large pot like a stock pot or Dutch oven
- Melt just a little of the lard so you can brown the pork
- Remove the meat, and add in the remaining lard
- Watch for it to come to a low boil
- Put the pork back into the pot and let it be
- Over the next 20 minutes, turn the pieces periodically
- Quarter the orange and onion
- Smash the garlic
- Reduce the heat on the stove
- Add in the remaining ingredients but for the liquid portion into the pot.
- Let these simmer on low for an hour
- Add the liquid portion, and continue simmering for another 2 ½ hours.
- If they’re not pull-apart tender yet, let them cook a while longer.
- Preheat your oven to 400F
- Transfer the meat to a baking sheet
- Baste the pieces with a little cooking liquid
- Bake, turning them repeatedly until there are some crispy edges surrounding tender meat.
PitMastler’s Memo: Carnitas Enter Stage Right
Pigs made their way to the “New World” in the late 1400s. A story tells us that Herman Cortes invites people to a celebration to celebrate the fall of the Aztec Empire. Pig was available, so they were butchered and cooked in their own lard. The side dish? Cornbread.
Sides
Black bean salad
Cilantro Lime Rice
Mexican street corn
Tortilla soup
Queso and chips
Desserts
Apple enchiladas
Chocolate dipped strawberries
Churros
Tamarind candy
Tres leches cake
From the Bar
Albarino
Aguas Frescas
Prickly pear margarita
Smoked porter
Tequila
