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I love Carnitas! CARNEEEETAS! I made Carnitas last night. Pork fat is good. :)
Traditionally, carnitas are made by slow cooking pork shoulder in lard in a copper cauldron. They end up tender and yet crispy as well. Now, I didn't do that -- I don't have a copper cauldron or lard. I adapted the recipe to what I do have, and tested out some spice ideas. I took a bone-in shoulder roast and put it in my slow cooker with 1 tbsp pipian sauce, 3 cloves of garlic, 1 1/2 tbsp cumin, a dried, seeded New Mexico chile pepper, and a bit of chicken broth. I let that cook on LOW for about 7 hours or so.
Then I took the meat out of the cooker, put it in a pan and shredded it with two forks. I added the onion and the chile (I shredded them too), drizzled the sauce from the cooker over it, and put the pan in a 450 oven for about an hour. I checked it a couple of times, stirring the meat and adding more sauce, until the meat was crispy and sizzling.
Now I have four meals worth of yummy, spicy Carnitas. :) They didn't even need salt. This is a very good thing.
I may up the chile quotient next time, or experiment with a different type of chile. And I think maybe another tablespoon of cummin would be appropriate. I really like the pipian sauce...but I may try some mole sometime. MMMM, chocolate and chiles, what could be better?
Traditionally, carnitas are made by slow cooking pork shoulder in lard in a copper cauldron. They end up tender and yet crispy as well. Now, I didn't do that -- I don't have a copper cauldron or lard. I adapted the recipe to what I do have, and tested out some spice ideas. I took a bone-in shoulder roast and put it in my slow cooker with 1 tbsp pipian sauce, 3 cloves of garlic, 1 1/2 tbsp cumin, a dried, seeded New Mexico chile pepper, and a bit of chicken broth. I let that cook on LOW for about 7 hours or so.
Then I took the meat out of the cooker, put it in a pan and shredded it with two forks. I added the onion and the chile (I shredded them too), drizzled the sauce from the cooker over it, and put the pan in a 450 oven for about an hour. I checked it a couple of times, stirring the meat and adding more sauce, until the meat was crispy and sizzling.
Now I have four meals worth of yummy, spicy Carnitas. :) They didn't even need salt. This is a very good thing.
I may up the chile quotient next time, or experiment with a different type of chile. And I think maybe another tablespoon of cummin would be appropriate. I really like the pipian sauce...but I may try some mole sometime. MMMM, chocolate and chiles, what could be better?
