Carnitas

Recipe at a Glance

3 lbs pork butt
2 tbs kosher salt (more or less depending on how you cut your meat)
1 1/2 cup orange juice
1 1/2 cup water

This time of the year is always a bit crazy. It is the end of the semester for Chris so this means that dishes get washed with less frequency, deep dish pizza gets ordered more often, and there is little time to spend in the kitchen. Just prior to this year’s week of No Chris, he took me out to a date at Xoco, the taquiera-esque installation of the Frontera brand. Here we had the best Churros of our lives. They were  fresh, lightly dusted with cocoa, and served in batches of 3 – creating difficult compromises on a date.

Now that finals week has passed, much time is devoted to having a beer or two in celebration and reconnecting with friends that have been neglected in writing this paper or that. At the first barbecue of the year yesterday, Chris and I shared our recommendation for Xoco. One of Chris’s classmates mentioned that she had no idea what a churro was while another mentioned that she had no idea what horchata was. I immediately wanted to retreat into the safe confines of Homesick Texan where the chili never has beans and the salsa is always spicy.

Upon moving to Chicago, I obsessively searched out the best Tex-Mex and mexican food I could find. I knew the Midwest couldn’t be the flavorless tundra that it was rumored to be. I have since found the best taquiera, the best late-night burrito, the best mole, and now, the best churro to be found next to an elevated train line. I also found out this weekend, that not everyone is quite as enthusiastic as me at garnering that sort of information. And here is where I share a little secret, the first meal we had in Chicago, when our dishes were still in boxes, was at a nearby Taco Bell. (We have since never gone back.)

Today’s recipe is for Carnitas, otherwise know to me as the best easy-to-make, weeklong-lasting way to cook meat out there. Carnitas is braised pork cooked long enough to break down the fat and connective tissue of the pork butt, and then cooked at a slightly higher heat to crisp up the edges just slightly. I have usually seen carnitas served in a taco or sprinkled on nachos. At my house though, it has been served on top of a pizza, as part of a salad, or on a sandwich with BBQ sauce. Today though, we went with the traditional taco.

Get a pork butt that weighs about three pounds and trim it of any exterior fat. Contrary to the name, pork butt is actually cut from the upper portion of the shoulder. It is a succulent piece of meat that is also fairly inexpensive. It is also relatively forgiving for any “mistakes” made in cooking. I have found that it is near impossible to over cook incase you happen to leave it on the stove a little too long.

Cut the meat into 1 inch thick strips and then chop those again in half. Ideally, you want pieces that are 1 inch thick and about three inches long.

As I said, the meat is rather forgiving and the cuts aren’t particularly important. I try to aim for uniformity.

Lightly salt the pork with a dusting of kosher salt. This picture looks like alot, but this was taken just prior to stirring that all together to coat the meat. For a three pound butt, I have found that 1-2 tbs is usually plenty to lightly salt the meat. Add less if you happen to have “enhanced meat” wherein the pork was injected with a salt solution to maintain its moisture, but I recommend not using that sort of meat for this recipe if you can avoid it.

Place meat into a large pot.

Add 1 1/2 cups of orange juice without pulp to pot.

Add 1 1/2 cups of water to the pot.

This part isn’t pretty. Bring the pot to a boil and then lower the heat to low. Simmer uncovered for two hours and forget about it. The meat shouldn’t be touched. (I once accidentally let it cook covered to no ill effects.)

Once the meat has cooked for 2 hours, turn the heat to medium high to cook off the liquid. This will require the occasional stirring towards the end to make sure that the meat doesn’t stick to the pan. This step will take about 30-45 minutes.

The pork will begin to fall apart when you stir. Let the pork continue cooking for a few more minutes in the rendered fat in order to brown and crisp the edges of the pork.

Meat candy! It is delicious.

Chris chose to make a tostada with his.

Whereas I prefer the taco dressed with fresh onions, salsa, peppers, and mashed black beans.

Carnitas (lightly adapted from Homesick Texan)

Cut up pork butt into 1 inch thick by 3 inch long slices. Lightly salt the meat and put it into a large pot. Add orange juice and water to the pot. Turn the heat to medium high and bring the liquid to a boil. Turn the heat to low and simmer the meat for 2 hours. Turn the heat up to medium high and cook off the remaining liquid, stirring occasionally to prevent the meat from sticking. Once there is only liquid fat left in the pan, let the meat brown a few minutes more until the edges are slightly crispy.

The meat can be served shredded or in chunks but my meat has always fallen apart when I stir it. There are endless ways to serve the meat, and considering it makes 6-8 servings worth, it is an excuse to be creative.