Most traditional carnitas recipes call for
simmering pork in lard (in Michoacán, this is done in a big copper pot), but
I’ve also seen recipes calling for dry brining, broiling on a rack after an oven
braise, deglazing with brandy, simmering in milk, even rigging up a turkey
fryer. Without a doubt, all of these methods yield delicious results—there
aren’t many situations where fatty pork will let you down.
But that’s just it: In all of those recipes, the
common denominator is fatty pork—which is all you really need. And on those days
when you’re not up for tracking down several pounds of respectable lard, there
is Diana Kennedy’s recipe, which is essentially pork + water + salt. This happy
threesome simmers away together until the water evaporates and the pork browns
in its own rendered fat (a.k.a. lard).
Yes, this recipe requires some vigilance once the
water has bubbled away and you’re left with a shallow pool of burbling fat.
You’ll need to carefully turn the hunks of pork, and the scent of
slow-developing caramelization will be prodding you, belly first, into a state
of frenzy. Calm yourself and any hungry-eyed passersby with a cold beer and
chips and guacamole.
Once the pork is tender and crisp in all the right
places, you can serve it however you like. The taqueria standard, at least in
California, is with minced white onion and cilantro, a variety of salsas, and
the occasional hot pickled carrot. Kennedy suggests salsa cruda or guacamole. My
favorite way to eat it is bundled into a toasted corn tortilla with shredded
cabbage, slivers of ripe avocado, and a shower of lime juice.
Serves 4 to 6
3 pounds (1.4kg) good, fatty pork
shoulder, butt, or country-style spare ribs, skin and bone removed
Cold water to barely
cover
2 teaspoons salt, or to
taste
1 Cut the meat, with the fat, into strips about 2 by ¾
inches (5 by 2cm). Barely cover the meat with water in a flameproof pot (the
meat will get more evenly cooked if the pot is rather large and shallow), add
the salt, and bring it to a boil, uncovered.
2 Lower the flame enough to bring down to a simmer. Let
the meat continue simmering until all the liquid has evaporated—about 1½ hours,
depending on the shape of your pot. By this time the meat should be cooked
through, but not falling apart.
3 Lower the flame a little more and continue cooking
the meat until all the fat has rendered out of it. Keep turning the meat until
it is lightly browned all over—about 1 hour and 10 minutes.
0 التعليقات: