What Goes Good with Beer?

Do you consider Taco Bell Mexican food? I did, until I was about 18. Kinda funny considering I grew up in the Southwest surrounded by Mexican restaurants. It wasn’t until I went to college that I experienced proper Mexican food and drink. And for that, I must thank my friend Juan.

One of the Mexican dishes I really enjoy is carnitas. Normally, it involves slow cooking pork for hours in a pound of lard. Now I’m not usually one to shy away from a little fat, but even I can't get myself to use a pound of lard. Instead, I use my trusty crockpot and chicken stock to slow cook the pork, then I brown it in a cast iron pan.

Carnitas

• 2 lbs pork butt or shoulder*
• 1 head of garlic, cut in half
• 1 onion, quartered
• 2-3 stocks celery, cut in thirds
• 4 (or more) sprigs of fresh oregano (Thyme is okay too)
• chicken stock or water
• Salt, to taste
• 2-3 scallions, finely chopped

If you have a big hunk of pork, cut it into 2 or 3 large pieces. Put everything into a crock pot, add enough stock or water to cover the pork and let it cook on the low setting for 8 hours. I normally start this just before leaving for work, so it’s done by the time I come home.

Alternatively, you could do it on the stove. Put everything into a pot large enough to hold the ingredients and cover with cold water or stock. Bring to a boil, then turn it low, cover and simmer until pork is tender (3 or more hours).

When the pork is tender, fish it out. Avoid transferring too much liquid with it. Roughly shred it (or finely, if you prefer). I like to fish out the garlic, onions and celery too. They are very mushy by this time and can be fried with the pork to give it extra flavor. Try to drain away as much of the liquid as possible. This is key because you want the meat to fry, not boil in the next step.

In a hot cast iron pan (or similar), add about 1 tbs oil then the pork. You may be tempted to turn it, but don’t. Just let it sit for 1-2 minutes so it can get that crispy crust. Stirring it around will probably cause the meat to stick. If there was a lot of liquid, then it will take longer because that liquid needs to evaporate off. Stir it as little as possible, probably every minute. Fry it until you are happy with the level of crispiness. If you didn’t add salt while the pork was slow cooking, now is the time to do it. Just before the pork is done, I like to add a couple of finely chopped scallions. Serve with Mexican rice, beans, tortillas and beer. Or as a taco filling topped with fresh chopped onions and cilantro.

*A friend who doesn’t eat pork asked me if she could substitute chicken. YES! Of course it’s no longer carnitas, but the results are just as good. I have done this using boneless, skinless thighs and about 1 cup stock for the slow cooker. The meat turns out tender, yet crispy, just like the pork. Give it a try.