Carnitas
The stuff carnivorous dream are made of.
If you have a pulse, you know what carnitas are and that they are delicious. This is all that this post requires of you, so fear not the history lesson. However, if you, like me, like a little insight with your tacos, read on.
The birthplace of carnitas is usually credited to the state of Michoacán in Mexico, but there is at least some debate about that, with other origin stories pointing to Mexico (the state), Hidalgo, Jalisco, or Querataro. Certainly the styles of the carnitas from these areas vary, with the base recipe supplemented by different spices, as well as different liquid additions: orange juice, beer, Coca-Cola, and even milk.
What they all have in common is the method of cooking the pork. If you have read my post on duck confit, it will strike you as very familiar. Carnitas consist of pig meat, cooked in its own fat.
Traditionally, this happens in a cazo de cobre - or large copper pot - filled with lard. Here, the pork is cooked slowly, at low temperatures, to tenderize tough but flavorful bits of the hog such as legs and shoulders. The lard is often kept in the cauldron to be used again and again.
I have two things to tell you about this method of cooking. One is sciency, and the other is historical.
(Note that I will be referring to “meat”, “chunks of meat”, “pig meat”, “pork” and “meat fibers” quite a bit. If you are either grossed out or titillated by this, stop distracting the class and grow up. I am feeling carnivorous and not in the mood for your nonsense.)
First, history. Cooking in fat, whether frying or slow-cooking, is a method that was imported to Mexico by the Europeans. There is a legend that when Cortez defeated the Aztecs, he celebrated by making carnitas. In point of fact, a monk documenting the happenings referred to swine being brought to the table, but anything beyond that is pure fiction. Carnitas are a celebratory tradition in many parts of Mexico, and I don’t think there’s any reason to dishonor them by association with that particular dude.
Next, science. Collagen is the stuff in meat that makes it tough. There is very little collagen in tenderloin, and quite a bit in beef shank, duck legs, and pork shoulder. When you heat collagen at high temperatures, it tends to shorten, squeezing meat fibers and making them release water. If cooked in an oven, on the stovetop or on a grill, this water will evaporate, drying the meat. The shortened collagen fibers, not given enough time to break down, make the meat tough.
However, if you cook that tough cut at a lower temperature - right around 160F - the collagen will begin to break down. Given enough time, it becomes a silky mixture of peptides and proteins known as gelatin. If that meat is cooked in fat, in a pressure cooker, slow cooker, or sous vide, any liquid released stays with the meat, hydrating the gelatin between the meat fibers and giving you a tender, juicy end product.
This is why I love science and you should, too.
Chunk-style pork, after its roasty-toast in the oven.
So let’s break it down (like collagen in a cazo de cobre)…
Carnitas need to be cooked low and slow, in a way that doesn’t allow the escape of their moisture. I have tried virtually all the methods of doing this available to a home cook. 1. Cooking the meat sous vide, sealed in bags containing all the yummy add-ins, then shredding and finishing in the oven for the mandatory brown and crisp edges. 2. Cooking the meat on the stovetop, covered in broth and those same goodies until it all breaks down and the liquids reduce. (This was my least favorite - a little messy, and though very tender and saucey, almost too tender without the crisp edges I wanted.) 3. Cooking on low in a slow cooker. My favorite method, and the one I am sticking with from here on. See below.
One last note on finishing. People in the US seem to want to make carnitas look like pulled pork, but the traditional texture is closer to burnt ends. The carniterias take large chunks of meat, crisped on the outside, and chop them. To get a similar bite at home, take those big chunks of meat out of your slow cooker, transfer to a large roasting pan so they all sit in a single layer, pour the slow cooker juices over the top, and roast until they achieve a nice mahogany brown. Chop roughly, add to your serving dish with any left over juice, and throw a touch of fleur de sel on top. That last part’s not from the carniterias, that’s from me. And you’re welcome.
Savory, citrusy, sweet and spicy.
Shit You Need
Boneless pork shoulder, also called Boston butt (…yeah, I know), 4-5 pounds
1 large onion, halved and cut in thick slices
5 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole
1 orange, quartered
2 bay leaves
1 cinnamon stick
2 Tbs kosher salt
4 Tbs brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp ground ancho chile
1 1/2 tsp ground chipotle chile
2 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp dried oregano
Ready for the slow cook.
Keep Calm and justeffingcook
First things first: take off any string that your pork shoulder came tied with. Slice off the fat cap and reserve it. Break the shoulder down. First, along the planes the different muscle make, then into roughly 4-inch chunks. Along the way, feel free to remove and discard unsightly fat and stringy shit. If you have picky eaters, this will save you either work or headaches.
To your slow cooker, add the onions, garlic, and pork. Scatter salt, sugar, chiles, oregano and paprika over the pork. Squeeze each orange quarter over the pork, then toss the peel in after it. Add cinnamon stick and bay leaves. Add the big ‘ol chunk of fat you reserved to the pot.
Toss everything together with tongs or with clean hands to distribute the spices evenly.
Cook on low for 5 hours. (4-6 is the range. In my cooker, 5 hours is the sweet spot.)
Preheat your oven to 425F. When you’ve reached the end of the slow cooker cook, add the chunks of pork to a large roasting pan or a 9x13 inch Pyrex baking dish. Strain the juices remaining in the slow cooker and pour over the pork.
Roast in the oven for 30-40 minutes, aiming for mahogany-colored chunks of meat. There should be juice left in the bottom of your pan.
When cool enough to handle, roughly chop the pork into taco-appropriate-sized pieces, toss into a serving dish, and pour remaining juices over the top.
Serve with homemade corn tortillas, pico de gallo, queso fresco, and whatever fixins’ strike your fancy on the side.