From jjensen@alumni.uvic.ca Mon Feb 3 11:00:13 2003 Date: Wed, 29 Jan 2003 03:43:22 +0000 (UTC) From: jen Newsgroups: rec.food.recipes Subject: Carnitas (using Boston Butt Roast) Followup-To: rec.food.cooking, rec.food.recipes La Taqueria Carnitas If you don't mind using your oven as well, there is an incredible recipe for carnitas available on the Sunset Magazine website (and included below). it is the closest i've found to traditional carnitas. The barbacoa recipe is good as well although i've only ever made it with beef. cheers, jen La Taqueria Carnitas Prep And Cook Time: About 41/2 hours Notes: At La Taqueria in San Francisco, owner Miguel Jara cooks pork in cauldrons of bubbling lard until tender, then roasts it to make crowd-pleasing carnitas. At home, braise the pork, then roast until tender-crisp. For best results, select meat with the most fat marbling; fat is rendered during roasting, making the carnitas moist and crisp. Garnish tacos with cotija cheese, Cafi Azul tomatillo-avocado salsa), and diced tomatoes. If cooking meat up to 3 days ahead, chill airtight; freeze to store longer. MAKES: 8 to 9 cups 1 boned, tied pork shoulder or butt (4 to 5 lb.) 2 onions (1 lb. total), peeled and quartered 4 stalks celery (including leaves), rinsed and cut into chunks 4 cloves garlic, peeled 2 dried bay leaves 2 teaspoons dried thyme About 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup milk Rinse pork and put in a 6- to 8-quart pan. Add onions, celery, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and enough water to cover meat--2 1/2 to 3 1/2 quarts. Bring to a boil over high heat; cover, reduce heat, and simmer until meat is very tender when pierced, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. With slotted spoons, transfer pork to a 9- by 13-inch pan; reserve cooking juices. Discard string, and use 2 forks to pull meat into large chunks. Pour milk over meat. Bake pork in a 325 oven until drippings are browned, about 1 hour, stirring and scraping pan occasionally. Meanwhile, pour reserved juices through a strainer into a bowl; discard residue. Skim and discard fat. Return juices to pan. Boil over high heat until reduced to 2 cups, about 45 minutes. When pork drippings are browned, add 1 cup of the reduced juices; scrape drippings free and stir meat, breaking into smaller pieces. Bake until juices have evaporated and drippings are browned, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Repeat step, using remaining juices, and cook until meat edges are crisp and browned, 15 to 20 minutes longer. Season to taste with salt. Per 1/2 cup: 255 cal., 67% (171 cal.) from fat; 17 g protein; 19 g fat (6.9 g sat.); 3 g carbo (0.5 g fiber); 191 mg sodium; 71 mg chol. from: -- Rec.food.recipes is moderated; only recipes and recipe requests are accepted for posting. Please send recipes, requests, questions or comments to Moderator Patricia Hill at recipes@swcp.com Please allow several days for your submission to appear.