Carnitas!!!!
I got the recipe from a cookbook by fran mccullough (don't know spelling of last name, sorry). It is simplicity itself, and the dish is yummy. Low carb mexican!
basically, here is what you do.
Get 2 pounds boneless pork shoulder (I used less because I am cooking for one, 2 pounds will serve 3-4 people).
Slice it up (the original recipe says slices that are 4" long, 2" wide, 1/2" thick, but you may want smaller hunks, its up to you). Melt 1 pound of lard in a heavy pot (lard can still be found in many grocery stores, i bought a pound for 75 cents).
On medium low heat, cook the meat, uncovered, for 40 minutes. You will need to flip meat periodically so that all sides get fully cooked.
After the 40 minutes, turn heat to medium-high, and let the meat cook 10 minutes more , possible flipping it once during this time, until meat starts to turn lighltly brown and crunch looking on the outside.
And your done!! This is really easy and soo good, especially if the meat is fatty (just my opinion there, I love fat).
Traditionally, carnitas are put into flour tortillas, but you may put them in low carb tortillas, lettuce leaves, or eat them without any wrap (this is what i did, they are sooo good just on their own).
also, they are usually served with some yummy sides for covering/dipping them with. Some ideas:
Salsa
Guacomole
sour cream
Lime (squeeze it over meat, very very good)
pico de gallo (for those not familiar with this, it is similar to salsa, but is not saucy, usually chunks of tomato, chili, etc.)
anything else you want!
Note, lard can be reused several times but you may need to strain it through a coffee filter. It will solidify at room tempurtature.
Hope this helps!
|