Carnitas, literally “little meats,” is a dish of Mexican Cuisine. Carnitas are made by simmering pork meat in oil or preferably lard until tender. The process takes three or four hours and the result is very tender and juicy pork meat, which is then typically served with chopped coriander leaves (cilantro) and diced onion,salsa, guacumole, tortillas, and re fried beans (frijoles refritos).The traditional way to cook carnitas is in a copper pot (or any thick-bottomed pot), which disperses the heat evenly in a process very much reminiscent of confit. Lard is used to cover the dish in proportion to the amount of meat being cooked. Once the lard has melted, pork and flavorings are added (usually salt, chile, cumin, oregano or Mexican oregano, Majoram, thyme, bay leaf, and crushed garlic cloves). Traditional carnitas are then made by a process of simmering the meat in the lard until tender over a very low heat. Once appropriate tenderness is achieved, the heat is turned up and the outside of the pork begins to crisp. At this stage, the collagen in the meat has broken down sufficiently to allow it to be pulled apart by hand or fork or chopped with a cleaver. The meat can then be used as an ingredient in tamales, tacos, tortas, and burritos.
- Ingredients
- 4 lb (2 Kg) Pork Shoulder, with bone and skin
- 1 lb (500 g) Pork back fat
- 4 tsp Coarse salt
- 8 cloves garlic, 2 oranges, 4 limes, bay leaf
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You should marinade the meat and render the fat in advanced
Marinade Grind coarse salt (about a ½ teaspoon per hundred grams, or four ounces, of meat) with the zest of the orange and limes, and plenty of garlic. Trim the skin and excess fat from the meat. Score the meat deeply, to the bone, making cuts a bit less than one inch (2cm) apart. Rub the salt and garlic paste over the meat. Pack the meat in a closely fitting casserole, add the bay leaf and juice from the citrus fruits and leave to marinade in a cool place for 8-12 hours, turning from time-to-time.
The marinade can be varied. You can mix and match a selection—oregano, cumin, coriander, chipotle chiles in adobo, or something more exotic, such as cinnamon, but I think it is more authentic to be minimalist with the marinade—salt, citrus and garlic—and provide a selection of salsas when serving.
If you can’t get pork back fat, fat belly pork, or pure pork lard will do!
The chicharrones are a delicacy in their own right. Put them on a baking tray, salt lightly then return to the oven for ten minutes or so until they are crisp and golden brown. You can eat them as they are—as an excellent snack to accompany a chilled margarita.
Rendered Fat Cut the skin and fat roughly into 1 cm (½”) strips; pack it, with the trimmings from the meat, in a casserole. Add enough boiling water to almost cover and bake, covered, in a slow oven (150 °C 300 °F) for a few hours. You can remove the lid from time to time and stir. The fat is rendered when you have slightly golden scratchings floating a a clear liquid. Remove the scratchings with a slotted spoon; use these to make chicharrones. You can let the mixture cool then keep it in the refridgerator, or, if you’ve allowed enough time for the meat to marinade, proceed immediately to the next step. You should have a layer of white fat with an aqueous liquid or jelly below.
Slow-cooked ConfitPlace the meat, and its marinade, in the casserole with the jelly and rendered fat. There should be enough fat to cover the meat. Put the covered casserole in a slow oven (120 °C 250 °F) for two or three hours. The meat can be preserved, under the fat, in the refrigerator for several weeks, then gently reheated, or used immediately.
Pull the porkWarm the casserole if necessary; drain the fat from the meat; keep any aqueous juices aside to use as gravy. Use two forks to pull bite-sized chunks of meat from the bone. It should come easily. Spread the meat on a baking tray and crisp briefly (ten minutes or less) in a hot oven (200 °C 400 °F) to produce nuggets of succulent softness with a crisp caramelized exterior.
Serve in tacos with salad, guacamole, and Pico de Gallo—chopped tomato, onion, and chiles—or other salsa.
Rilletes are similar in process. Fat and lean pork, salted then slowly cooked—with added liquid, which is absorbed into the meat. These are pulled then normally eaten cold, spread on bread.
Culinary Work Of Art And Food 