If I had a “signature” dish it would have to be carnitas. I often make them in the slow cooker because it’s easy and they come out very moist and tender, but real carnitas are not a slow cooker dish. Making them in the slow cooker leaves them with a boiled taste that isn’t in the real thing. This recipe is for the more labor-intensive braised version of carnitas,which really isn’t all that much extra work but yields a much tastier version that’s also more authentic (just in case you care about that sort of thing). I made this batch to take to my CSA’s pre-season taco potluck and I’m not embarrassed to say that everyone who tried them raved about them. They do take over 4 hours to make but almost none of that time is active working time, so you can be doing other things while the meat’s in the oven. But even if you decide to just sit and watch it cook, believe me, it’s totally worth it.
I advise you to always look at the weekly meat specials and keep an eye out for pork shoulder. Its standard price here in NYC is just under $2 per pound, but I’ve seen it for as much as $4/pound (horrors!) to as little as $.89/pound. Supermarkets geared towards a Latino audience usually have the best deals. When I find it on sale, I buy it! Just stick it in the freezer until the mood strikes you for some deliciousness. Boneless pork shoulder isn’t much more expensive than bone-in, so it’s often a good deal to buy it boneless . . . although you do lose the bonus of using the bone for some soup stock later, so it’s a trade-off. This is the sort of dish that can feed many for very little money, so take advantage for your next low-key party. You’ll impress your guests and no one will ever know that you fed them for a dollar a head!
The first step is to cut the giant roast into pieces that are about 5″ square. Like most meat recipes, you then salt the pieces and refrigerate them. If you’re able to plan ahead and do this step a few days in advance, the meat will have a slightly better flavor and be a bit more tender as well. I never seem to have it together enough to do this more that a few hours ahead, so I’m here to tell you that it’s OK if you’re as scattered as I am. No one will know the difference except you!
The next step (again, as in most braises) is to brown the meat. I used a large, shallow saucepan to make this batch and it was the perfect vessel for the dish. The benefit of having all-metal handles on your pots and pans is that you can use them in the oven! Browning the meat gives it an added layer of flavor that is undeniably awesome. The trick to successful browning is to not touch the meat. If you mess around with it and move it around in the pan, you won’t get nearly as good a sear and it will take longer to finish this step. So resist the urge to mess with the pieces every few seconds and just leave them on each side for 5 minutes or so. When you flip them over they should look like the picture above (minus the weird flash effect, I’m still figuring out the lighting in my new kitchen).
After all the pieces are nicely browned on all sides, you deglaze the pan with some water to get all the yummy brown stuff off the bottom, then put the meat back in and add the liquid and spices. For this version I opted to use chipotle chili powder in addition to ancho chili powder. Next time I’ll substitute some of the water for beer and orange juice to follow my friend Pedro’s instructions on how to make “real” carnitas. If you do that yourself when you try this I’d love to hear your feedback!
Every hour or so during the braising process you should take the pan out and turn the meat so that it cooks evenly. The picture above was taken at about hour 2 of the braising process and you can really see how the color of the liquid changes as the cooking progresses. The longer you cook it for, the more tender it becomes, but if you cook it too much all the liquid evaporates and you risk ending up with some very dry meat. Braising is an art, not a science!
After a 3.5 hour braise, the liquid is mostly gone and the meat has a nice dark brown color to it. You remove it from the pan and shred it using two forks, then return it to the pan to cook some more:
This final step yields the crisp texture that carnitas is generally known for, but it’s also the step where you risk ending up with something dry and stringy. If there’s no liquid left at all at this point, feel free to add some stock or water or beer to the pan and then pop it back in the oven. The last thing you want is bone-dry meat at the end of this long process!
This dish stands on its own and is wonderful as a taco filling with nothing else, but it’s also enhanced by a squeeze of lime, some chopped onion, or a bit of guacamole. You can also serve it as a main dish with rice and beans on the side, or as a sandwich on a burger bun (sort of a Latino version of a sloppy joe). The best part may be that it keeps for a long time in the fridge and tastes even better, if that’s possible, as leftovers. Sprinkle a little water on top and pop it in the microwave for a few minutes to heat it up the next day and remind yourself why you went through all the trouble in the first place!
Carnitas
Adapted from David Lebovitz’s blog
Serves 8-10
- 5-pounds boneless pork shoulder or pork shoulder butt, cut into 5-inch chunks
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 tsp chipotle chile powder
- 1 tsp ancho chile powder
- 2 bay leaves
- ¼ tsp ground cumin
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly-sliced
Rub the pork pieces all over with salt. Refrigerate for 1 to 3 days (if you manage to plan ahead).
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in a braising-appropriate-pan (read: wide, shallow, and oven-safe) pan on high heat. Brown the pork pieces in a single layer until very well-browned. Once all the pork is browned, remove from pot and let rest on plate, then pour about a cup of water into the pan, scraping the bottom of the with a flat-edged utensil to release all the tasty brown bits.
Add the pork and any juices that collected in the plate back to the pan and add enough water (or beer/orange juice mix) so the pork pieces are covered about 2/3rd’s of the way in liquid. Add all the spices and pop the pan in the oven to braise.
Braise uncovered for 3.5 hours, turning meat every hour or so, until most of the liquid is evaporated and the pork is falling apart. Remove meat from the pan and when cooled enough to handle, shred into pieces using two forks. Remove any big chunks of fat you come across while shredding. Return the shredded pork to the pan and add more liquid if there’s none left. Return the pan to the oven and braise for about 30 more minutes or until liquid has evaporated and pork is crisply caramelized.
Serve immediately with your favorite taco toppings or as a main dish with a side of rice and beans.
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How do you do it in the slow cooker? My son at away at college misses these.
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