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Carnitas
Carnitas Literally it means “little meats” in Spanish. It can be made from beef, but is almost always made from pork shoulder. Look for “Boston butt”,”picnic ham”, or country style ribs. None of these are from the butt,ham, or ribs: they're all from the shoulder area of the hog. In addition to being very economical cuts, they also have great flavor. The downside is you have braise them for a long time to render some of the fat and to break down connective tissue. Yeah I know the half and half in this recipe might seem odd, but it just adds a little bit of a glaze to the meat, and is really quite nice. Hey, some recipes call that you simmer the pork in lard like confit, so I'm doing you a favor with just some measly half and half. Serve with some fresh tortillas, shredded cabbage, smashed avocado with lime and salt, and a splash of salsa for tacos that are just awesome. No photos 'cause I was starving and just had to eat these. I plan on using any leftovers for tamale fillings tomorrow. So we'll see. Ingredients
- 2 lbs pork shoulder cut into large cubes (1.5”x1.5”)
- chicken stock or water to cover
- ¼ cup half and half
- 1 large onion rough chop
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp salt
- 2 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp oregano
Directions
- Add everything to a large pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until just tender maybe 1.5 hours. Let cool until ready to serve.
- For serving. Preheat broiler. Using a slotted spoon, remove chunks of pork from braising liquid and place on a sheet pan. Place pan on heat heat and let reduce to just a glaze. Meanwhile, place pork under broiler and broil until crispy, about 10-15 min. Be sure to stir it a couple of times so it browns evenly. We like it very caramelized, the crispy outsides contrast so nice with the oh so tender meat. Just before serving, mix the carnitas and the reduced braising liquid together and mix gently.
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