Carnitas

Back when I was a nursing student in Utah there was this incredible, totally inconspicuous, stand-alone taco cart down the street from my place. To say I frequented that spot would be an understatement. For the best tacos in the city at $1 a pop and a warm greeting,"Hi Lady!" how could I not? When I graduated and moved away, I suffered a real loss of that place in my life, and ever since I've been on the hunt for a suitable substitute, to no avail. My new home of Los Angeles had a bustling food scene and many a taco suitor, but there was a space in my heart left by that friendly neighborhood taco cart that none have since filled.

Enter this recipe. For years I dreamed of recreating the flavor bomb of shredded meat cradled on those five inch corn tortillas. With just a bit of prep and a lot of hands off patience while your home ascends into the clouds of carnitas heaven, you too can enjoy authentic fork-tender carnitas. This dish is versatile (think tacos, burritos, quesedillas, enchiladas, tortilla soup, or as an entree with rice and beans) and can feed a crowd or provide a small family with leftovers for days.

A boneless roast boasts the convenience of simple shredding with no bones to pick through, but bone-in enhances the broth with extra flavor and nutrients. I have made it both ways and think the convenience factor is likely to be favorable to most people, but do as you wish and know that you can't go wrong here.

INGREDIENTS

4lb pork shoulder butt roast (5lb bone in)

2 tbsp diamond kosher salt (much less if using morton's)

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 tbsp dried oregano

2 tbsp ground cumin

1 onion, diced

1 jalepeno, deseeded and diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

juice of 2 oranges

METHOD

Prepare the meat. Pat the pork shoulder dry with a paper towel. Combine salt, pepper, oregano and cumin then rub the mixture all over the pork. Since whole spices are more robust and flavorful, I use a mortar and pestle to crush whole black peppercorns and cumin seed just before use.

A note on cooking:

Do not be intimidated by the thought of bringing home a hefty piece of meat. The simple addition of a few spices and aromatics plus low slow heat will render it magic and considerably up your kitchen game. The beauty of having made this in advance means you can whip out the shredded meat at a moment's notice and conjure up all manner of carnitas goodness in no time. These are the recipes that, for me, are life changing. They allow me to enjoy stress-free mealtimes with my family and friends because the work is already done.

Prepare the aromatics. Dice the onions and jalepenos, and mince the garlic. Make sure to devein and remove the seeds from the jalepeno before chopping if you want a mild end result. Capsaicin, the chemical that gives chiles their heat, is concentrated around the seeds in the ribs, so removing them controls the heat factor.

Juice the oranges. I once read an entire book about the chemical properties and variation among orange species. Fascinating stuff. I'll spare you the details, but let it be known that I prefer Valencia for juicing.

Place the pork (fat cap up) in a slow cooker. Scatter the diced onion, jalepeno and minced garlic on top. Pour over the juice from the oranges.

Put the lid on and slow cook on high for 6 hours, or low for 10 hours. The pork should be tender enough to shred with a fork.

I happily double this recipe with neither difficulty nor regret in my large Brooklyn Copper casserole. The carnitas keeps well in the fridge and does just as well coming out of a longer hibernation in the freezer. With tiny hands clammering to get their fill, however, (nothing in the world makes me happier) its practically guaranteed to disappear before then.

The carnitas is ready to go. It's a picture of succulent perfection. You could take it straight to the table as a whole roast and go for it right there, but I like to take things one step further by skimming the fat and reducing the pan drippings. This takes time and is completely optional, so don't bother if you need to get dinner on the table immediately. I do think it makes for a nicer end result though, so I'm going to share my method.

First, remove the obvious fat cap on the top of the roast, but please, do not discard it. I implore you to use it in place of butter or olive oil to add depth and flavor to future cooking. Using tongs or two forks, take a good portion of meat and set it onto a large platter or bowl. Pull the meat apart, inspecting for and removing pockets of fat as you go. Continue this way, processing in portions, until you've worked through the entire roast.

Strain the pan drippings into a large container. Return all of the collected bits of jalepeno, onion, garlic and spices back to their rightful place with the shredded meat. Put the liquid portion in the refrigerator and allow to chill until the fat content has solidified on the surface. Skim the fat off the top and add it to your stash for future use.

The clarified liquid is now ready to reduce. To do this, simply cook over medium high heat until the desired concentration is reached. Less liquid equals more intense flavor. If this is your first time, aim to reduce the original volume by half. Taste for yourself, and take it as far as you want. If you go overboard you can always add water back in, no harm done. Pour the new and improved pan drippings over the shredded meat and serve.

I hope you enjoy this as much as I do.

Xx,

Lindsay

10 Quart Large Casserole- Brooklyn Copper