Mad as Hell

[superduty]

I can't tell you how upset I was last night. Now I know why they call it Trial & Error. Me and Mrs. Superduty tried to whip up a batch of Carnitas from my ham slam pig. We downloaded several recipe's and picked one that looked worthy. Every ounce of that pig in my freezer is like gold. I know you guys know what I mean by this.

Anyways, when I started everything seemed to be fine but when the company showed to sit down and eat there was bean and cheese burritos being served.

The carnitas came out looking like a bag of briquettes for the barbeque. I will not give up.

Anybody that is in my area and willing to help will be fed and quinched at my expense. Can't afford to botch another batch. I need someone with first hand knowledge and expertise instead of a lets try this one recipe.

 

[ghrousseau]

For cooking something like that you need to use indirect heat and moisture. You can only achive that with a charcol grill like a weber. I would use a weber with the charcol built up off to the sides..............using 8 to 10 bricks of charcol on each side(you can add more as you need.) Use a temperature gauge in the meat and pan off water in the bottom. This will solve the problem of burning the meat and slow cooking carnitas...................slow cooking is the key and expect at least 2 hours of slow cook grill time.

Also do a web search.............there are a million BBQ sites.

You can also ask the butcher at a local hispanic meat/grocery store. This is how my wife and I got our killer carne asada recipe.

good luck!

 

[karstic]

Super which recipe did you use? Full sack has a good one. http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/index....t=0&#entry64471

I've had good luck with this recipe. I've tried some different seasonings and a different cooking method. I cook the meat in a crock pot on low heat. I start it in the morning when I leave for work and when I get home the meat will pull off the bone. When you brown it in the oven, you have to keep turning it over and adding broth so the meat doesn't dry out too much. I'll let it brown for about 10-15 minutes then add about a 1/2 cup of broth, mix it around then let brown another 10-15 minutes, repeat 3-4 times. You get a nice mix of browned pieces and moist pieces. Next time I whip up a batch maybe I'll invite you over.

If you want to experiment buy a pork shoulder when it's on sale that way you don't waste the wild hog experimenting.

 

[superduty]

We boiled them in a pot of lard, one orange, half lemon, accouple bay leaves, three cloves garlic but in my house the minimum is never enough when it comes to garlic, pork in large cubes aprox. 2 1/2lbs. for 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hrs. at medium. Carmalize 1 cup of brown sugar almost to a burn and add to mixture on high for 10 to 15 min. Pull out pork and drain. Serve with pico de gallo, rice, and beans with a large side of margaritas.

I think it would have been fine if the chuncks were larger and with less cooking time. I.E. more attention to the kitchen then elsewhere.

You just give me the GPS coordinates and we will bring the drinks.

If I keep messing up I will have a good excuse to go back out though.

 

[bubba]

Superduty, I've cooked my first two batches with no problems, but I've had many years watching my uncles.

The most important part is the seasoning, just enough salt. You can add garlic and other herbs and spices also. This is to taste.

First off, expect to cook for about 3-4 hours. We usually cook in a very large copper pot, recently I acquired a stainless stell one and it makes for a better cleanup afterwards.

Start off on low heat. This recipe is for about 25 lbs of meat. Place about 1/2 gallon of milk (butter milk or whatever you prefer). This is to provide the moisture for cooking the pork initially to tenderize it. After the milk is gone (turn to keep it from sticking and burning), put in a gallon or two of lard in the pot. Raise the fire a bit. After an hour or so, reduce the turnign of the meat, at this point it's going to get really tender and will start falling apart on you if you turn to much. About an hour before your done. Squeeze in soem fresh oranges. About 10-15 oranges. This helps give it the color with some citrus falvor added.

Enjoy. Oh...when no one is looking, I pour in a couple of cervesas

Maybe next Ham Slam I'll bring my pot...and a couple of donated hams and shoulders if anyone is interested in having carnitas.

BTW: IF you happen to burn some of the meat (unavoidable) try to pick those off the pices that were burned, it will taint the taste of the rest of the meat if you leave it in there.

 

[EL CAZADOR]

Not to brag, but my recipe above is probably the easiest. Just throw everything into a crock pot in the morning, by the time you get home from work, it's nearly done. Pull it out of the crock pot, shred it or chop it, put it in a throw away aluminum tray or one of those pyrodex dishes, put it in the oven on high or broiler on low and put a little juice from the crock pot on the meat. Keep putting more juice on it so that it doesn't dry out. In a few minutes, it’s nice and toasty and ready for corn tortillas and fresh salsa.

 

[bubba]

No, mine isn't easiest, but it's probably the funnest and if you want authentic carnitas with that authentic taste...it's an event unto iteself and a good way for the guys to hang out, drink beer and cook meat...

 

[bubba]

another pic

 

[bubba]

last one

 

[fpscabs]

Karstic makes good sense.

Do the trial and ERROR with store bought until you got the R&D worked out. Then bring out the good stuff.

The wild boar will make it much better

 

[wmidbrook]

Bubba>>>so you fry/simmer your meat the whole time in lard/milk mix? Sounds pretty good...I'll have to try that route.

A recipe we've tried was to boil them simmer the meat with bay leaves, spices, orange for a couple hrs. Then pan fry. It was good but not like some of the better restaraunts for Carnitas I've tried.

 

[bubba]

wmidbrook,

sort of, the milk pretty much is cooked away when the lard is added.

 

[superduty]

Thanks for all the tips guys.

I think I have managed to cool down now and am ready to try it again soon. We just got a new rotisery oven lastnight and were going to try a pork roast. We are taking your advice and I'm picking one up at my favorite meat market today instead of using the boar pork roast I have in the freezer. Just incase of problems with the new machine.

Anybody know if the pork roast cuts will make good carnitas as to using pork shoulder?? We are also going to try for two more pigs in July, I figure I'm going to need more meat to get all of this right. Thanks again guys for all the help.