Carnitas

Nutsy · Posted: Fri Aug 26 16 6:17 am Post subject: Carnitas

Carnitas

Love pork then you will love carnitas soft and silky inside with a nice crispy bark on the outside. I learned to cook carnitas from my brother inlaw in Monterrey Mexico. I was hooked. I have even used my cowboy wok on the stove in the kitchen.

When I cook carnitas for me and my wife I just buy two thick butt chops and cube them. I put them in the disco, cover them with water, 1 sliced orange and 1 cup of orange juice, 1 cup of lard (healthy stuff) and some chopped garlic.

I use my disco on a propane gas burner that heats up to 100,000 btu, never needed it that high

I bring the liquid up to a light rolling boil and cook away for about 1 hour. At this time I replenish the water and cook for approx another hour or until the water has evaporated. Once the water has softened up the meat and evaporated then the lard takes over. Cook until your desired crispyness. You can either put them in your tortillas whole as we did or get out your cleavers and chop them up. Note: I do not add any spices until the end of the cooking process as I have found that the lard burns the spices.

brutus1964 · Posted: Fri Aug 26 16 7:45 am Post subject:

I have been inspired. Your carnitas look awesome and bring back memories from my childhood. When I was a kid we would have hog killings and would cook off the cracklins to render out the lard and the remains were the crispy cracklins. I haven't thought about it in years but this has inspired me to cook up some carnitas which will be similar to the cracklins with a little tenderness in the middle.
Nice job on your cook.
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Nutsy · Posted: Fri Aug 26 16 8:04 am Post subject:

Thanks glad you are inspired again. They tasted even better than they looked.

Maniac · BBQ Super Pro Joined: 02 Oct 2010 Posts: 2434 Location: Pa

good looking cook there Nutsy Exclamation

Time to build your self a stand for that bad boy Wink

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Nutsy · Posted: Fri Aug 26 16 6:38 pm Post subject:

Thanks Maniac, your right a stand would come in handy, hard on the back Laughing

Forkin Pork · Posted: Sun May 21 17 8:04 am Post subject:

Wow thanks for the post on Carnitas
I tried to make them a week ago, but quickly found out I did it wrong, but at least they came out good enough to enjoy.
I can now see where I went wrong thanks.
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