Carnitas (home cooked)
 

Awhile back, I found a carnitas recipe that turned out really well, and I have no idea what happened to it. I have searched high and low online for something that might be similar. It had orange/juice and cinnamon, and it was not slathered in lard.

I suppose it is time to start from scratch and hear what suggestions FTers may have. Nothing "quick cook" or shortcuts, but I'd prefer one that isn't slathered in lard before roasting.

Thanks

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so when do I get a carnita dinner invite...!? :D

When you take a 6000mi trip :p I don't think it will be on the Paseo Colon menu.

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why not...?

Are you thinking of achiote paste?
 

There are many recipes from both Spain and Mexico for various pastes and marinades that involve vinegar or juice or wine and some form of adobo (which varies by place). The Spanish version has just garlic, paprika, salt, and some "green leaf" flavor like thyme or bay. Mexican versions often have cumin and other dry "brown seed" flavors in addition.

Then there's achiote, which is a really good seasoning paste from southeast Mexico. It has garlic, achiote seeds (also called annatto), black pepper, oregano, cumin, coriander, salt, a bit of flour, and sometimes cinnamon--all mixed with a small amount of cider vinegar to make a thick paste. This is often used to create a marinade for pork or chicken by using orange juice to thin it a bit.

I've never thought of this preparation as carnitas, though, which to me are large pork pieces [country ribs or similar] literally boiled in a pot of lard that has some water and lime rind in it. (Remarkably, prepared correctly they're not greasy.) Lots of places they probably use carnitas to refer to small pieces of meat to wrap in a tortilla, though.

For carnitas:

Large cast iron pot (with lid)

Lots of lard.

Boneless pork shoulder in chunks.

I was taught to make a paste of guajillo chiles, garlic, cominos, salt in a bit of vinegar and rub pork then allow it to rest in the paste for a couple of hours.

The dish is essentially "deep fried" at a temperature below that for conventional frying, but above that for the currently "chic' poaching in oil. The pork actually gives up much of its fat, and the result is not really greasy. The meat should be friend until it will "pull apart" easily.

A classic filling for soft tacos or as a main course, usually served with side salsas, red, green, cruda, etc.. Goes well with Chimichurri style salsas. Personally, I like chopped onions, cilantro, lime segments and a cooked red chile sauce, but chopped jalapenos in escabeche do well as a garnish also.

Substitute... Not bad if not the real thing.

Repeat all above except for the pot and the lard. After seasoning pork chunks, wrap loosely in foil (Banana leaf unavailable), and bake at 250F for 4-5 hours. It ain't "Autentico", but can be tasty.

lard is of course not healthy but it is very tasty... perhaps a compromise in the recipe to include a little lard just to have a flavour kick is possible...?

btw the tortillas have to be maize... not flour tortillas, and please no chimichurri, only real mexican salsas !!!!!

We make it exactly as TMOliver suggests except we add no lard. We first sear the meat in a small amount of oil, then add several cups of water and boil it till almost falling apart. By then the fat has rendered out of the meat and the water has evaporated leaving only the fat to crisp up the meat in the last part of cooking.

sounds like a good compromise... ^

Try not adding water, since the seared meat will be moist. Simply sear, seal and bake at low temp. The result, as with foil-wrapped beef brisket, will have plenty of moisture.

For the most authentic carnitas, you must use lard. Even several tablespoons will add significant flavor.

But lard = pork fat, and there is plenty already in pork shoulder which melts out during cooking (several tablespoons). Why would you need to add more? Just curious as I've never tried it that way.

I agree. I guess extra lard is an optional, depending on how powerful you want the dish to be.

Powerful? Taste-wise, lard is not as bland as canola oil, but not as flavorful as most good olive oils. For real strength, there are many of us hardy souls who save bacon grease, the magic flavoring. Lard was used in Mexico and elsewhere because it was the available cooking fat until very modern times. The appeal of lard is why Crisco is white, to appear similar to those for whom it was the new secret to frying. The traditional cattle of Mexico, "Corrientes, ain't exactly packed with suet. Even today, every grocery/supermarket in parts of the US Southwest with substantial Mexican American populations will display lard prominently along side other fats/oils.

According to some of the Mexican cuisine "Authorities", Diana Kennedy, Rick Bayless, etc., and the lady in Cordoba, VC who demonstrated the dish for me more than 50 years ago, the "frying" in lard guarantees that the pork, generally very lean in Mexico, does not dry out during cooking. How credible is the claim? Well, "traditionalists" among Mexican cooks tend to use lard for everything including greasing hubs of wooden wheeled carts, sunburn and mosquito repellant.