BigThicket
Full Fledged Farker
I really want to try making some next weekend. Anyone have a great recipe that they’d like to share?
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!
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!
What type of oil/fat are you using to fry them?
Does calling lard a spanjsh name make it taste different? :grin:
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.
Does calling lard a spanjsh name make it taste different? :grin: