Sunday, July 28, 2002

DON’T BOGART THAT PORK - Carnitas 101

RECIPE CORNER
-- and yes, huts have corners, this isn’t some damn yurt - so anyway I’m showing my love for the world by sharing my recipe for CARNITAS:
Start with the big chunks of loin-like pork you can get at Costco, three to a package, individually wrapped for freezer convenience.  Make a spice rub with salt, pepper (black, cayenne, habenero - it’s your funeral), and whatever else you like on your pork - I use cumin, tumeric, garlic and dry mustard.  Rub the spices all over a pork hunk and then sear the outside black in a big deep heavy pot that’s super hot on the stovetop, with a little oil in the bottom.  This stuff will smoke you out pretty good so be ready to disconnect your alarms.  Once it’s all blackened, cover the pot tightly and remove it from the heat; turn the oven on to 200 degrees and put the covered pot in the oven.  Take it out 10 hours later - or, put it in at 10 pm and take it out at 6 am.  There will be some killer tender pork in the pot, with some juice that makes good gravy if you are smooth with that sort of thing.  The pork should cool a bit before you do anything to it, but it can easily be shredded by hand…