Carnitas Recipe?

[mcokevin]

Anyone have a decent recipe for smoked carnitas? Our office is doing a latin-themed cookout for cinco de mayo and I have volunteered to do smoked carnitas for a taco bar. Leaning towards trying this recipe but if anyone has got a tried and true favorite I am all ears. Tacos for probably around 15 people, going for one 7-8lb bone in shoulder.

There will be at least one other protein and some sides, so I think that'll be enough for everyone to have a taco or two.

I'm planning to do the smoke Sunday, then pull apart and freeze - then on Thursday morning do the final searing/crisping and keeping it at temp in a crock pot until lunch time.

 

[JLeonard]

Look at chilerelleno recipe listing. If its not there you dont need to cook it!

JIm

 

[SecondHandSmoker]

^^^ What Jim said. ^^^

 

[mcokevin]

Well I did check through all of his recipes and didn't see anything for carnitas, so I am going to give the one I linked a try. We'll see if it is any good. I think it will turn out just fine. Basically a latin version of pulled pork!

edit: I am dumb

 

[WaterRat]

Hope chilerelleno will reply, He’s the master for your question.

 

[mcokevin]

It just went in the smoker, so too late for this time around!

Good spice rub on the pork and it’s and sitting in a pan of citrus juice and onions. Hard to believe this won’t turn out good.

 

[chopsaw]

Be watching .

 

[chopsaw]

Authentic Pork Carnitas/Carnitas de cerdo autentico

Menu Authentic Pork Carnitas Mexican rice Ranch Style Beans Apple Cinnamon Strudel Cake Authentic Pork Carnitas Dry brine 2" cubes of pork Then marinate for 2-3 hours in 3 parts Sour orange juice, 1 part lime juice, keep rinds in marinade and cooking. 3-5 cloves of garlic, 2-3 Bay leaves...

www.smokingmeatforums.com

 

[zwiller]

Not too late at all! I am new school for this sort of thing and prefer to keep the meat basic but offer lots of add ons a la Chipotle. Family loves it. I prep the protein/PP like I normally do with an injection, smoke, pull/I chunk, freeze. Later I add seasonings in the crock to taste. Works great. More importantly, have good fixings for the service: chopped onion, cilantro, lime (I make a relish of those), anything else you want like sour cream, shredded cheese, hot sauce, etc. Perhaps a few fresh salsas to add. I haven't done it but want to try and create an al pastor salsa so those that want it can have it. Wife is NOT into that at one at all.

 

[mcokevin]

Not too late at all! I am new school for this sort of thing and prefer to keep the meat basic but offer lots of add ons a la Chipotle. Family loves it. I prep the protein/PP like I normally do with an injection, smoke, pull/I chunk, freeze. Later I add seasonings in the crock to taste. Works great. More importantly, have good fixings for the service: chopped onion, cilantro, lime (I make a relish of those), anything else you want like sour cream, shredded cheese, hot sauce, etc. Perhaps a few fresh salsas to add. I haven't done it but want to try and create an al pastor salsa so those that want it can have it. Wife is NOT into that at one at all.

One of my colleagues is taking care of the fixins for the tacos. She is keeping it super basic (I agree) with cilantro and onions. Since it's a work function and we don't have real kitchen facilities we are keeping it simple.

Let me ask you a sequencing question. When you are doing this - do you:

pull > saute (or some other method of crisping them) > freeze > thaw/reheat <serve

OR

pull > freeze > thaw > saute > serve


I'd like to crisp them up today and freeze if possible, but worried how they would reheat if already crisp. Right now I am planning to crisp them Thursday AM and then keep them at temp in a crock pot until lunch.

Coming along nicely so far. Just hit 165 so I cut into chunks and covered to speed the cooking process. Snuck a taste - wow is it good.

Don't mind the chicken... that's for lunches this week!

 

[mcokevin]

Authentic Pork Carnitas/Carnitas de cerdo autentico

Menu Authentic Pork Carnitas Mexican rice Ranch Style Beans Apple Cinnamon Strudel Cake Authentic Pork Carnitas Dry brine 2" cubes of pork Then marinate for 2-3 hours in 3 parts Sour orange juice, 1 part lime juice, keep rinds in marinade and cooking. 3-5 cloves of garlic, 2-3 Bay leaves...

www.smokingmeatforums.com

That looks damned good. Going to have to try that some time.

 

[chopsaw]

That looks damned good. Going to have to try that some time.

I knew he had one , because I looked at it before . You won't go wrong with anything he has listed . The rice is my go to recipe now .

Looks like yours is coming together . Gonna be good .

 

[mcokevin]

Pulled and into the fridge. Decided against freezing, figure it’ll be good for Thursday in the fridge.

Will crisp the up Thursday morning in a skillet.

Tastes good already, excited to see what it tastes like in a few days.

 

[chilerelleno]

I know this way too late, but yeah, I've three authentic Carnitas recipes in my Recipe Index.
Classic carnitas, chunks of pork shoulder marinated and then slow simmered in fat, then crisped before serving... Melt in your mouth.

Carnitas and Fixins!
Banquete Carnitas de Cerdo, Arroz Mexicana, Frijoles Pintos and Pico de Gallo
Authentic Pork Carnitas / Carnitas de Cerdo Autentico

 

[mcokevin]

I know this way too late, but yeah, I've three authentic Carnitas recipes in my Recipe Index.
Classic carnitas, chunks of pork shoulder marinated and then slow simmered in fat, then crisped before serving... Melt in your mouth.

Carnitas and Fixins!
Banquete Carnitas de Cerdo, Arroz Mexicana, Frijoles Pintos and Pico de Gallo
Authentic Pork Carnitas / Carnitas de Cerdo Autentico

I'm an idiot... I was looking under pork and didn't even bother to scroll down to the "Mexican food" section.

My wife and I taste tested the ones I made for work and they're great, so we'll be making them for ourselves again soon - sounds like a great excuse to try one of your recipes!

 

[mcokevin]

Well after all that I wound up testing positive for COVID the morning of the company bbq, so I did not take the pork in for tacos.

On the plus side, we now have 5lb to eat ourselves. Made burritos last night and they were excellent.