Luv carnitas, but have no source for real (non-hydrogenated) lard. So I have been trying to do them without it at home as good as the ones available from the local taqueria down the mountain…
My best so far is an offshoot of the braise method shown in this Rick Bayless vid. After they’re done, I’ll shred and either pan fry in cast iron or stick under the broiler.
They’re ok… but less than my expectations given what I get at the taqueria. Do any of you have a killer method/recipe that does not require lard?
I suppose, but I am trying to avoid the traditional method where the pork is cooked submerged in a large volume of fat (plus it would take me the better part of a year for me to collect/store that much bacon fat).
It may simply be that the taste/texture I am looking for is just not possible without the traditional cooking method, so I am just grasping for straws here.
Thanks for all of your suggestions as they all got me thinking last night.
Didn’t have any lard/bacon fat, so I started with the familiar (and pretty good) Rick’s Home-Style Pork Carnitas recipe. The only things I did differently were…
1.) Used a bit more salt on the pork, and let it sit for a couple/few hours, and toweled it dry.
2.) Once done, I moved the chunks of pork into my stand mixer with the paddle (which I often use to shred chicken - so why not?).
3.) Discarded the bay leaves, and threw everything left in the baking dish (mostly rendered pork fat, garlic, and some juices) into the blender, along with a pinch more kosher salt and about a tablespoon or two of agave syrup (sugar helps with browning - right?… and thought this would replace things like coke or sweetened condensed milk other recipes call for).
4.) Turned mixer on low to start shredding the pork and slowly added the blender contents to coat. Once it was shredded to my liking, I popped it into a pretty hot 12 inch CI skillet, stirring occasionally until the outside of the various clumps of shredded pork were browned and crispy (about 5-7 minutes) and removed to a paper towel lined bowl to soak up any excess fat/liquid.
It has been a while, but I actually think these turned out as well (or maybe better) than the local taqueria down the mountain. Also thinking about what else I could add to that blender to make things even better (maybe some cumin, chiles, citrus zest, etc.).
To each their own. If you look at the photo in my OP you’ll see a crispiness on the outer area that seriously enhances flavor and texture. This is impossible to achieve without shredding.
I didn’t cook these to the crispy stage. Braised at 280 °F for 4 h. I had cut the pork into 2 1/2 to 3 inch cubes, so it filled my 9 inch square evenly.
The temp of the meat was around 190°F so it was shreddable and the fat had cooked out. Very good.
There are two ways to achieve this. If you start with a larger slab of meat, then you can boil them in lard at a low temperature and then raise the temperature to fry the outside. You then carefully cut this into manageable chunks. I have not used this method.
I prefer to start with the manageable chunks, boil in lard low, and then transfer them very carefully (or they will fall apart) to a frying pan where I can get the outside crispy. I have learned I only need to do this on one side, because otherwise they would shred all by themselves in the pan if there’s too much manipulation.
This is how you can achieve that outrageously rich and tender meat that bursts in your mouth and still get it crispy. Shredded and crispy, and you no longer have carnitas, you have puerco deshilada.
For you, it’s a question of what to use instead of lard unless you order some delivered.
1.) How well do they freeze? Thinking of freezing the shredded roast pork with some of the cooking liquid in pint+ containers. When I want some I’ll thaw in the fridge overnight and pop on a baking sheet to crisp up under the broiler.
2.) Mexican Coke or not? Most of the recipes I have are similar, but some call for Coke while others don’t. Whatcha think?
I don’t know about your second question, but carnitas freeze very well. I portion it out into quart-sized zipper bags, about 1 lb per bag. Squeeze all the air out and lay them flat in the freezer. Reheat as you suggest, or in a dry frying pan.
