BigThicket
Full Fledged Farker
I really want to try making some next weekend. Anyone have a great recipe that they’d like to share?
Smoked Carnitas?
- Thread starter BigThicket
- Start date
Tonybel may have something
Mike in Roseville
Babbling Farker
Consider adapting this...
https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/carnitas-braised-and-fried-pork-364389
After enjoying some of J.J. Santibanez's cookbooks, I did these a few years ago for Xmas eve for my wife's (Mexican) family dinner. They don't use nearly as much fat as the traditional way (which you don't need dispose of). I told one of the aunts it was from a old family recipe :wink:. She chuckled, knowing I was full of $h!t, and said they were excellent. Then when grandma's sister suspiciously spied me (a guerro) and asked where I learned how to make carnitas, the aforementioned aunt interrupted and said "it's old family recipe." She smiled and then she shot me a wink. Grandma's sister (who is in her 70's) slowly nodded and smiled with approval.
I'd probably cook them in a shallow pan or dutch oven outside to get some smoke. Then, coat the cooked chunks with oil (manteca if you can find it, but vegetable oil works well too) and put them in oven under the broiler. That will get them nice crispy.
Enjoy!
https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/carnitas-braised-and-fried-pork-364389
After enjoying some of J.J. Santibanez's cookbooks, I did these a few years ago for Xmas eve for my wife's (Mexican) family dinner. They don't use nearly as much fat as the traditional way (which you don't need dispose of). I told one of the aunts it was from a old family recipe :wink:. She chuckled, knowing I was full of $h!t, and said they were excellent. Then when grandma's sister suspiciously spied me (a guerro) and asked where I learned how to make carnitas, the aforementioned aunt interrupted and said "it's old family recipe." She smiled and then she shot me a wink. Grandma's sister (who is in her 70's) slowly nodded and smiled with approval.
I'd probably cook them in a shallow pan or dutch oven outside to get some smoke. Then, coat the cooked chunks with oil (manteca if you can find it, but vegetable oil works well too) and put them in oven under the broiler. That will get them nice crispy.
Enjoy!
BigThicket
Full Fledged Farker
Thank you!
KevinJ
somebody shut me the fark up.
Here is a cook I did back in May you will see my recipe farther down in thread.
https://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=259970
https://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=259970
ArnieTex
Full Fledged Farker
Down here in deep south Texas "carnitas" are cubed up from pork picnic or butt ala burnt ends style about an inch square, then fried.
Also at our house we like to smoke them first in a shallow sheet pan then toss into the fryer, dang good stuff man. For an even better carnita use some pork belly, takes them up many notches on the goodness scale, just sayin.
Enjoy!
Also at our house we like to smoke them first in a shallow sheet pan then toss into the fryer, dang good stuff man. For an even better carnita use some pork belly, takes them up many notches on the goodness scale, just sayin.
Enjoy!
BigThicket
Full Fledged Farker
What type of oil/fat are you using to fry them?
chingador
is Blowin Smoke!
The best oil to use would be lard, but I am sure basic frying oil, vegetable, peanut or corn would do. Carnitas Fritas is a good dish in Houston with many of the more old school Tex mex joints like Ninfas or El Tiempo (Ninfa's kids place). They slow roast pork butt, then cube and fry to crisp. The traditional mexican way is to cook all the way in lard, but from a restaurant point of view I am sure the Ninfa's way is easier to do. Especially considering the fact that most people who come into a mexican restaurant are opting for fajitas, enchiladas than carnitas.
ArnieTex
Full Fledged Farker
Veggie oul works fine as well as canola but personally I like peanut oil best, thats not traditional lol.
Theswimmer
Found some matches.
Any mercado should have Manteca in block form.
Makes a big difference in the taste of the finished product.
I smoke almost all the meat we use in Mexican dishes.
For carnitas use mesquite lump coal and cut the pork into hand sze pieces before smoking . Low and slow , don't over cook the pork in the smoking phase . I usually give the smoke about 1-1.5 hours at 190-200 deg.
Also when using Manteca to fry , a deep pot or Dutch oven is much safer than a frying pan.
Makes a big difference in the taste of the finished product.
I smoke almost all the meat we use in Mexican dishes.
For carnitas use mesquite lump coal and cut the pork into hand sze pieces before smoking . Low and slow , don't over cook the pork in the smoking phase . I usually give the smoke about 1-1.5 hours at 190-200 deg.
Also when using Manteca to fry , a deep pot or Dutch oven is much safer than a frying pan.
mike243
is Blowin Smoke!
Does calling lard a spanjsh name make it taste different? :grin:
bschoen
Babbling Farker
Yes. Gives the flavor profile a Latin aspect while applying a bit of south of the boarder mouth feel. Plus, just saying "Manteca" makes you channel the Mayan Gods. Always good to have the Mayan Gods in your court, heart healthy and all.
ArnieTex
Full Fledged Farker
lmaorof! Spot on!
ArnieTex
Full Fledged Farker
And yes manteca is even better all around we just dont use it for much else but we use the oils often.
Theswimmer
Found some matches.
Short answer is , yes.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lard
http://www.meathenge.com/2008/07/manteca_de_puer/
Manteca is a specific ingredient , kind of like calling for cherry wood rather than apple ....
