Little Meats – Carnitas

I made some Carnitas last night for dinner, got a real good price on pork stew meat at Henery’s market. It came out great my wife really enjoyed it. Served with beans that I made from scratch, cilantro, lime, and salsa. Simple and easy to make.

Carnitas, literally “little meats”, is a type of braised or roasted (often after first being simmered) pork in Mexican cuisine.

Traditional Carnitas: Given today’s climate for more low-fat, healthier foods, alternative methods like braising and roasting have become popular. These non-traditional methods tend to produce a less savory result. The traditional way to cook carnitas is in a copper pot which disperses the heat evenly (one may use any thick bottomed pot to get the same result). Lard is used to cover the dish in proportion to the amount of meat being cooked. Once the lard has melted, pork and flavorings are added (usually salt, oregano, marjoram, thyme, bay leaf, crushed garlic cloves). Traditional carnitas is then made by process of simmering the meat until tender over a very low heat. Once appropriate tenderness is achieved, the liquid is drained off, with a little oil or fat the heat is turned up and the outside of the pork begins to crisp. The carnitas can then be cooled and shredded.

Tags: Blog, Healthy cooking, Pork