By the time I fished the three pounds of pork hunks from the lard and stacked them on the cutting board,far more guests had arrived than I had originally planned. It was a New Year's Eve party, but I thought dinner would just be an intimate gathering of 5 or so, and then we'd meet up with more friends later in the night. But apparently my calls for meeting up later meant that they should come over right then and make me nervous. I was also sick...but I tried not to let anyone eating the food know that. I was trying to be brave.
See, Blake and I were together for the first time since he had skipped across the pond to Estonia. I figured I'd fatten him up on some delicious Mexican food, which he says is really bad or non-existent over in Northern Europe. Yet I worried no one would fatten up on anything. I feared I was possibly very close to making the one grave sin a responsible host should never make: Not having enough food. I also worried, rather selfishly, that I'd wouldn't get my fair share.
Carnitas (chunks of pork shoulder that have been slowly cooked until golden brown, slightly crispy, and very tender) are worth the greed. Especially these very authentic ones. To supplement the lack of meat, I started the appetizers real early. I made Blake's famous blended guajillo salsa, my pumpkin seed speckled one, and a tomatillo salsa which I figured would go well with the meat. Elin whipped up a batch of her famous guacamole, which quickly marinates the onions in lime. But I was still scared.
When we confirmed the menu a few weeks previously I didn't know how many people would be coming but I did know exactly which recipe we would use. Melanie Dunea's My Last Supper is littered with some tempting recipes. It consists of very famous chefs describing their perfect last meal on earth. But I've been eying Rick Bayless's contribution since I first picked up the book. For his send off, he'd throw a canritas feast, which he insisted on frying slowly in pounds and pounds of lard until golden browned and crispy. I had never had enough courage to buy pounds of lard, but for a party I figured it was time.
I couldn't find much precedent for this cooking technique anywhere else on the net. Nearly every recipe first boiled the pork or slow roasted it in an oven. I actually did the latter last year while using Dave Lebovitz's very good recipe. But if Bayless recommends something, I usually follow. This also just sounded more absurd, more reckless, and had the potential to be truly extraordinary.
And we were not let down. The outside of the pork got gloriously crispy and golden while the inside remained as tender as the best pulled pork. When one bite managed to contain both textures, and when sandwiched into a tortilla and slathered with bright tomatillo salsa, there couldn't have been a much better way to ring in 2009.
The best part? Like really good bacon, a little bit goes a long way, and the hungry group of 12 couldn't finish them all.
Carnitas
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
- 1/2 tablespoon salt
- 2 1/2 pounds boneless pork shoulder
- 2 pounds lard
- 2 dozen corn tortillas
- salt
Slice the pork into 3 inch slabs. We ended up with three good sized pieces. It's important that they all end up roughly the same size, so they cook in the same amount of time.
Toss the pork into a large bowl and then add the lime juice and salt. Stir the pieces until well coated. Cover the bowl and set aside for an hour. Toss the pieces twice over the course of the hour.
Meanwhile, melt the lard in a large pot over medium heat.
When the hour is up, carefully add the pork to the pot. The lard should cover the pieces. After a few minutes, very large and lazy bubbles will pop to the surface. This is good. You don't want to have aggressive frying. Let cook on medium, flipping the pieces occasionally for even cooking, for about 2 hours. The meat should be very tender when pierced with a fork. It took us an extra 15 minutes.
Raise the temperature to medium-high. The lard will start bubbling furiously and make a lot more noise. Cook for 30 minutes.
They should come out all nicely browned and golden.
Set them on a cutting board and let sit for 10 minutes or so.
Meanwhile, fill the bottom of another pot with about a 1/2 inch of water and bring to a boil. Wrap the tortillas in a towel and set in a steamer basket atop the boiling water. Cover the pot.
Cook for 1 minute. Then turn off the heat and let sit for 15 minutes or so.
On to the pork. There is no wrong way to go about this. You can slice off a bit with a sharp knife.
Or pull the meat apart with a fork.
You can even use your hands if you're into it.
Roll up a little meat in a taco, sprinkle on some salt, and top with whatever salsa you like the most. Keep it simple, though.
{ 43 comments… read them below or add one }
Fatty pork slow-fried in pork fat?
It's not even 11AM yet, but this sounds like the most delicious thing possible.
Sounds wonderful. I now have a reason to buy 3 pounds of lard.
This looks awesome, I will try. I must say my favorite carnita recipe to date is from Mark Miller aka Coyote Cafe.
wow, this does sound amazing!
Would this be considered a confit, or is that a distinctly french term when that wouldnt apply to other cultures food? I wonder if aging it, like a duck breast confit, would deepen the flavors even more. Any thoughts on that?
Cheers!
Brian
my mouth is watering uncontrollably right now. wish i had this for breakfast instead. there's no bad time for pork!
As someone whose single New Year's resolution is "be a vegetarian", all I have to say is, "you're hurting me." Thanks. No, really.
Definately does sound like a confit of sorts; seems like most cultures know that cooking meat in lard is good, good, good.
Which of Bayless's books is this in? He's my favorite and I've made many of his recipes.
Can't imagine how your place SMELLED after frying up those babies, but I'm sure it was more than worth it!
Brian: Blake actually brought that point up. I was concerned about cooking the pork in what amounted to a deep fat fryer, until he reminded me about the gentle art of confit. It made perfect sense after that. Not sure if it is technically accurate to call it that term, but it definitely helped me understand the process.
Sue: I only have his Authentic Mexican and Mexican Everyday books, and it is not in either of those. I'm not sure if this specific recipe appears in his other books…I need to get those, too. I got the recipe from Melanie Dunea's My Last Supper.
On the road between Los Mochis and El Fuerte MX are the best Carnitas stands I've ever tried.
The stir the cooking pork with canoe paddles (or so it looks).
I'm inspired, thanks for posting this.
This is one of those "Holy Grail" recipe's, and definitely the authentic way to do it. Traditionally, its cooked in a copper cazo. Amazingly, it's always super tender and never greazy.
I had the same problem finding a reference, then I found it. Been doing it this way ever since.
Have you tried living in LA and telling someone you just cooked their meal in a tub of lard? I don't even bother.
You're missing a couple of things though. Mainly, sugar.
When it gets rolling add: 3 oranges, halved, squeezed into the pot – throw the halves in, a guajillo or New Mexico chili (dried) or two, 1 can of Coca-Cola, and a bottle of Negro Modelo (dark beer). Some use milk & honey, but I haven't cracked that yet.
If you have a candy thermometer, put it in, and keep it 350-375. When its done, the sugar will 'flash' and caramelize on the meat, forming a crispy crust. Happens quickly after 3 to 4 hours.
This doesn't work with oil, I tried it.
Too greasy, not even close. Those bake, broil, etc. wannabe's aren't even close to the real deal. This is so tender flavorful,it falls off the bone onto your tortilla.
I'm assuming the green deliciousness on your taco is Elin's famous guacamole. Would love to see the recipe for that, I'm intrigued by the marinated onions.
Nick: These carnitas look perfect but I actually have a question related to an earlier post. You mentioned eating well in New Orleans, which I'm about to visit. Any recommendations would be appreciated.
Thanks and keep up the good work on this site.
Michael: I do have a fondness for New Orleans. But I'm not the expert. Check out http://www.nolacuisine.com/. This site has a combination of recipes and places he has visited down there. I've cooked a lot of recipes from his site and plan on visiting a few of the restaurants when I next make it down there. Good luck!
Trevor: The green stuff you see is the tomatillo sauce, actually; we polished off the guacamole long before while the pork bits were bubbling away. But the recipe is simple. Dice onions, then cover them in lime juice (good working ratio is 1/2 lime to 1 small onion to 1 large avocado). Let the onions marinate in the lime juice so they give up their harsh bite. Pinch of salt, then smash in the avocado and minced jalapeno, maybe a chopped seeded tomato. Season with more salt.
Waky: Definitely excited to try some of those ideas, especially throwing in some beer and seasoning with the lard. Our carnitas were super porky but some other flavoring would have been welcome.
Eating like this is what made my brothers and I fat. Fat as kids and fat now that we're grown.
But it was so worth it ….
What a great post.I'd get nervous too if I were in your shoes that night, I'm glad it all turned out well! I might try a little something like this soon! Definitely bookmarking your site here!
wow. nice toast to the new years. Fatty foods. I made pork belly myself.
Curiously, it tasted just like carnitas. Haha. fat + pork.
Pork – fat = some dry ass chop/dream on
Anyways, My friend tried to make this and i am forwarding him this link.
lard*victorious
I have to say your post inspired me to try out it for myself.
http://cynicalcook.blogspot.com/2009/02/joy-of-lard-carnitas-tomatillo-salsa.html
Needless to say, the idea of frying in 3lbs of lard is always interesting.
MMMMMMmmmmm Pork. I so know what I am eating for cinco de mayo!!! Thanks for the awesome recipe. I know it will rock!
where do you buy the lard???
I have made this recipe many times and it is quite simply the easiest way to impress a crowd. I learned this from many friends from Mexico. In addition to the straight lard recipe try adding some clove, cinnamon stick and bay leaf along with the peel of an orange. I have also included the can of coca cola mentioned above. i am told it is quite authentic too and it adds another dimension to the flavor. dont add this until like 15 minutes from the end. As for Van above just go to the store, they sell lard (manteca) in buckets or 1 pound blocks.
I was referred to this recipe by a question I posted on a fishing board (!). That is exactly the type of carnitas I was looking for (as opposed to pork stew, which can be great, but is not what I think of as carnitas). Thanks for posting the recipe, I am going to make it for my college grad son who is what Calvin Trillan called “an eating boy.”
You’re a saint! I’m with you, I’ll trust Bayless every time. I’ve only made a handful of recipes out of his Mexican Everyday book, but they’ve all turned out so well. My dad recommends him and got me the book, in fact… he’s usually spot-on, too!
I feel like I’m at the point you were before you lept into the lard. I’ve had great carnitas, and even made some pretty good ones using recipes found online (http://homesicktexan.blogspot.com is a favorite of mine – her flour tortillas and breakfast tacos filled the Texas-sized hole in my stomach when I left “home,” too – but she calls for slow-cooking in water and orange juice, which was easy enough and really tasty, just not what I was looking for). But none of the recipes do justice to the carnitas in my mind… and frankly, some of them are appalling (I’m down with the cola, but milk? I guess they’re going for the fat content, but really? I imagine pork boiling in milk and just… blech).
When I read up on authentic carnitas, I find “slow-cooked in pork fat.” And that makes sense to me. That sounds right. It’s a matter of taking the leap, like you did here — your reassurance is what I’ve been waiting for!!
I’m also curious to try seasoning. Though not too much, I think so much about carnitas is the flavor that comes from the pork and fat itself. But I’m willing to experiment. If you try any of those recommendations (I feel like we can trust Waky), please post the results or follow-up in the comments here.
As for me, I’m bookmarking your blog and going to get some more lard! (I’ve been using some for the tortillas, but there a little goes a long way. I’ve been looking for an excuse to get that BIG container of Manteca at the store!)
Thanks again. Salud!
OMG, I love this post. I was so inspired that the second I finished reading this, I told my wife that we were having carnitas for dinner that night. I only had to beg her a few times to let me use lard. Keep up the great work.
-Dan
This post is a lifesaver. I lived in California for two years, and traveled to Mexico quite a bit; the best carnitas I ever had was from a little place in Ensenada. Now that I live in the midwest, even the taco carts run by Mexicans can’t compare to my memory of juicy, delicious carnitas in Ensenada. So, you’ve inspired me to try experimenting with my own!
And to the person above who says carnitas makes them fat–not so! It’s largely genetics that determine a person’s weight.
Finally an authentic recipe for carnitas! I hunted and hunted and only found “healty carnitas recipes”. I was so happy to see “REAL” carnitas. Carnitas was a holiday treat for my boyfriends family and I loved holidays just for the carnitas and home made torts. I am so excited I can now make my own and not travel 50 miles for Sunday brunch to get it. Now I just need an authentic recipe for menudo and for carne asada.
And I agree… I eat very healthy food but life is short and eating a little lard now and then will not kill you! I bet most people who go to mexican resturants don’t realise that lard is what makes to refried beans taste so darn good and if you’re so scared of lard, take a look at the calorie and sugar content of the margaritas you are downing the mexican food with. That will kill you! But you still drink them don’t you.
These carnitas turned out fabulous! I will defintely use this recipe again, and for the person who commented above in regards to wondering what the house smelled like? It drove everyone crazy with hunger & anxious to dig in & try them!
Thank you!
Ana
I need a man who’ll help/encourage me to substitute a fabulous stew pot for a carnitas fiesta complete with fresco an picco. YUM. Stew is boooring.
that is all good but to make it really authentic we use we as in deep mexico add half a can of room temp. coke at the last 10 min. of the process that is for the real carmalization. enjoy my brothers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! for more on the down low just call i have alot of other recipes
call me for more mexican recipes
Sounds a lot like Rick Bayless’ recipe for Pork Carnitas!!!
Ok. I you all have me so excited about trying this recipe but I’m kind of new to cooking and am a little concerned about the adding the coke and oranges part. I’ve always heard that adding water to hot oil causes major splattering and explosions of hot oil everywhere. Isn’t the water in the coke and oranges going to do the same?
Please advise, I really want to tyr this but dont want to get anyone hurt(namely me)
Thanks.
Danny-
IM a little worried myself about adding liquid to a hot pot of grease. Any words of caution?
Nice photos by the way, good composition and informative. They were really helpful while making the dish.
I can’t believe it! Why do you need lard when lard comes from pork??
The authentic version of carnitas is to cut pork with the fat up into chunks, put into a large pot. Cover with water add salt and lots of black pepper, bring to a boil and then simmer covered for an hour or so, after the meat is tender, uncover and cook until the water evaporates and the meat fries in its own grease. Top with salsa verde or rojo and chopped onion and cilantro.
I made this for friends and family and everyone said these were the best carnitas they have ever eaten. Thanks for sharing!
Just a reminder: the Coca-Cola in Mexico isn’t made with high fructose corn syrup, like it is here in the states. You’ll need to buy the kind you can get at the Mexican grocery stores to get that nice sugar carmelization on the pork!
I would never use Coke either Mexican or the high fructose corn syrup type on my carnitas. I wouldn’t want a sugary carmelization. Boiling it on high temps for 3o minutes at the end gives the meat a crispy outer layer.
I just made carnitas for dinner tonight using a recipe from a Food Network show. It called for whole cinnamon sticks, garlic (lots), condensed milk (sweetened), a can of Coke and enough water to cover. I substituted the Coke for a Malta Goya (a cola-type beverage) since it’s less sweet. The show didn’t mention anything about salt and pepper whick it really lacked and would have made up for the “sweet meat” taste. I fried it up a bit on the griddle just before serving but it wasn’t crispy enough. Now I wished I had read your recipe first! Next time I’ll be brave and pour in a Coke just before the end…gently of course.
This is the best way to make carnitas. A little tip from my Father in law is to give the meat color and add to the flavor, add a can of coca cola. Can’t use Pepsi has to be Coke. I suspect it’s because of the extra sugar but he’s not telling. Cook meat as above until all liquid has cooked off. Wow you will never go back!
Oy-I am not a candy maker and while I know that sugar burns easily-I forgot. So after a good 2 hours of slow cooking I increased the heat and did not keep a good eye on things. I had added the coke and some oranges per some of the other comments and I got a black black crust because I did not keep a close eye out. Just wanted to remind others so they’re not oh so sad after the effort
Got to try this