I love food! And I mean all types of food. My absolute favorite style of cuisine is Hispanic – more specifically, Mexican, with its wealth of tradition and depth of flavors. What’s not to like? In fact, this year Cinco de Mayo and the Kentucky Derby fall back-to-back on May 5 and 6. Therefore, celebrate both with a delicious Mexican recipe.
I have a group of friends I meet every Sunday at our local Mexican establishment for lunch and a margarita or three (If I’m being honest, the food is decent, but the margaritas are the real draw!). I decided to mix it up and order one of my favorite traditional Mexican dishes: carnitas. They were less than spectacular. I asked my friend Sergio why he thought they weren’t very good. He replied that too many people really only want fajitas on the hot plate, and this restaurant’s preparation just wasn’t traditional. To be fair, one look around the room proved that he was right. Consequently, it looked like a sauna, with the steam rising from every table. I was a victim of demand.
However, I wasn’t about to settle for this disappointment. Carnitas are a staple of Mexican cuisine and I mean, c’mon, it’s pork! I decided to take matters into my own hands. There are many ways to prepare carnitas, but traditionally it is shoulder meat (or leftover parts of a butchered hog) slow-braised for several hours in pork lard, confit style. Once the pork has been broken down enough, it is taken out and either pulled apart or cut into cubes. It then goes back into the lard with the heat turned up and is fried to add texture. There are many twists and variations of this dish, and the part of the country you are in usually defines what ingredients and flavors your carnitas might have. For this recipe, I’m combining the old with the new and adding a splash of CVap®.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. pork shoulder, cut into 1″ cubes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- 2 small bay leaves
- ½ lime
- ½ medium onion
- 1 cinnamon stick
- ½ orange
- ½ Mexican beer, preferably dark
- Fresh cilantro
- 2 lbs. lard or cooking oil
Instructions
In a large vacuum or re-sealable bag, combine all ingredients.
Place bag in CVap Cook and Hold Oven at the settings below. Drink the other half of your Mexican beer!
Carnitas ingredients.
CVap Cook and Hold Oven Settings
High Yield Mode: OFF
Vapor Temp: 178°F
Air Temp: 178°F
Time: 8 hours
When the timer goes off, pull the bag out of the CVap oven and separate the pork cubes from the other ingredients.
Heat lard or oil in a fryer or large pot on the stove to 350°F (or medium-high heat). Carefully drop the cubes into the oil and let fry until golden brown, about one minute.
Cooked cubed pork
Ready for the fryer.
Frying the cubed pork
Now comes the tricky part: eat the carnitas! I usually enjoy them over a bed of rice and beans, with a little salsa on top. I also like them in a corn tortilla with diced onions, cilantro, and freshly squeezed lime. Then again, sometimes I just eat them right out of the pot because it’s fried pork and I’m impatient. There is no right or wrong here, just enjoy!
About the Author
Cory Ainsworth is Winston’s Southeastern US Sales Manager. Corey has been with Winston for over a decade. When he’s not working, he enjoys sports, the outdoors, farming, and the search for the perfect bourbon. Corey’s family has a saying: “When we’re not cooking or eating, we’re usually hunting or fishing for something to cook and eat.”
You can reach him at wcainsworth@winstonind.com.
