Seeking authentic Mexican recipe w/pork

[whitestavern]

I have a pork butt I want to use to prepare something yummy for Cinco de Mayo on Saturday. Does anyone have any favorite authentic Mexican recipes using pork butt? TIA!

[Pink Fairy]

I make carnitas with pork butt. Cut pork into 1 inch cubes, cover with water, add Mexican spices (cayenne, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder), simmer for 2 hours or until water has evaporated. Shred meat with fork, wrap up in tortilla with whatever you want (homemade salsa is delicious!), like cheese, beans, and/or rice.

[Ohdanigirl]

You can go in many directions.

 

You can make carne in chile verde. You would need tomatillos, onion, garlic, cilantro and green chiles to make a salsa. Boil Onion, and chiles, adding the tomatillos at the end. Once the tomatillos have changed color, toss all the veggies (1 clove garlic), salt to taste in blender. Set aside for later. (you can adjust spice)

)

 

The meat to be cut into bite size pieces. Then season and brown the meat. Cover with water, and a dash of salt and allow to simmer until water evaporates. This is very important, because pork meat can become very tough, and this keeps it nice and tender. Check o see if the meat is tender, then slowly add the salsa. Allow to simmer, so that flavors can blend.

 

Carne con papas en salsa roja

 

You need a handful of dried Chile Ca, or Guajillo. Wash and deseed/devein. Lightly toast over flame, or in a pan then bring to a boil with 1/4 of an onion, and discard water. Blend onion, chile, clove of garlic, with about a cup of new water and salt to taste. Cut the meat as in last recipe, also some potato in similar size slices. Brown and boil meat as above, and then add the potatoes and salsa.(mild spiceiness)

 

Another plate is Carne con calabazitas. You would need, squash, corn, tomato, onion, and (optional) green chiles. (no spice-whatever level you want)

 

You can also make cochinita pibil, but it takes a lot longer, and the meat won't go as far. (meat is not spicy, but accompanied but spicy salsa)

 

I have to run, but I can check in later if you would like one of the last two recipes, or another one.

 

 

HTH

 

Danielle

Edited May 4, 2012 by USDGAL

[Julie in CA]

I have a question about carnitas...

I have made the recipe someone else posted for carnitas, and it's really good!

BUT...

As a southern Californian, I always had the impression that carnitas was chunks of pork fried/simmered in fat, often lard, for long periods of time, maybe with some seasoning at some point, as well as maybe some citrus at some point.

 

Every recipe I see for carnitas is similar to the one mentioned above, where the meat is braised in liquid (but not fat) for long periods of time, then shredded.

 

What gives? :confused: Have we become health conscious, and real carnitas are so evil in terms of nutrition that it became the "right thing to do" to not fry them? Or was I raised with an incorrect definition of what carnitas is? -Or maybe it's a regional difference?

(I'm open to any of those possibilities :D)

[MicheleinMN]

http://homesicktexan.blogspot.com/2008/07/carnitas-houston-style.html

 

While this recipe does use some water, she makes it very clear to NOT trim the fat off the pork because it is necessary to the recipe.

[Ohdanigirl]

I have a question about carnitas...

I have made the recipe someone else posted for carnitas, and it's really good!

BUT...

As a southern Californian, I always had the impression that carnitas was chunks of pork fried/simmered in fat, often lard, for long periods of time, maybe with some seasoning at some point, as well as maybe some citrus at some point.

 

Yes. This is basically how carnitas are made.

 

Every recipe I see for carnitas is similar to the one mentioned above, where the meat is braised in liquid (but not fat) for long periods of time, then shredded.

 

 

 

Although I am sure these render some very tasty shredded meat for tacos, they most certainly are not carnitas. This does not mean that it isn't similar to something I might eat here in Mexico, just that it isn't carnitas.

Danielle

Edited May 5, 2012 by USDGAL

[tex-mex]

I have a question about carnitas...

I have made the recipe someone else posted for carnitas, and it's really good!

BUT...

As a southern Californian, I always had the impression that carnitas was chunks of pork fried/simmered in fat, often lard, for long periods of time, maybe with some seasoning at some point, as well as maybe some citrus at some point.

 

Every recipe I see for carnitas is similar to the one mentioned above, where the meat is braised in liquid (but not fat) for long periods of time, then shredded.

 

What gives? :confused: Have we become health conscious, and real carnitas are so evil in terms of nutrition that it became the "right thing to do" to not fry them? Or was I raised with an incorrect definition of what carnitas is? -Or maybe it's a regional difference?

(I'm open to any of those possibilities :D)

Good lord -- NO!!

 

The Mexican-American food you describe (in red) is disgusting. And nothing like authentic carnitas dish like USDgal shared or what you said that is fried. I recall my tias or Abuela cooking like she described. To this day, I get depressed when I see recipes for Mexican food that in reality are not authentic and taste horrible. And let's not even begin to discuss store bought tortillas or Mexican food at restaurants... aiiiyyyeee!

 

P.S. My take on homemade tortillas and masa (for tamales) is it HAS to have lard in them... or there is no point in making them. *grin*

Edited May 5, 2012 by tex-mex

[Sneezyone]

What about posole? My stepmom makes a mean one and it's fab topped with shredded cabbage, onion and cilantro. No recipe tho. :confused:

[whitestavern]

Thanks for the suggestions so far; I'm still not sure what I want to prepare though. It seems the consensus is to cut the meat and cook versus cooking the entire butt in the oven. Is that accurate? Does anyone have any specific recipes I can follow? And considering this is for tonight's dinner, about how long would you cook the chunks of meat?

[Ohdanigirl]

Thanks for the suggestions so far; I'm still not sure what I want to prepare though. It seems the consensus is to cut the meat and cook versus cooking the entire butt in the oven. Is that accurate? Does anyone have any specific recipes I can follow? And considering this is for tonight's dinner, about how long would you cook the chunks of meat?

 

It truly depends on the meat. The point is for the meat not to have a chewy consistency to it. Maybe about 30-45 minutes, after browning, but you can do other things while it simmers.

 

The only thing I can think of for whole, would be cochinita pibil. It wouldn't exactly be "authentic", since I doubt you will be digging a whole to burry it in banana leaves. You would need achiote, tangy (not sweet) oranges, banana leaves, and a few other things. It also takes a very long time to cook.

 

Truthfully, in Mexico, people use their ovens as storage spaces. Traditional Mexican food is not cooked in an oven.

 

Maybe if you give us an idea of something you have tried before and liked. I know lots of recipes, nut typing them all out would take weeks.;)

 

Danielle

Edited May 5, 2012 by USDGAL

[Snickerdoodle]

Oh my, cochinita pibil. Swoon. :drool5:

[whitestavern]

It truly depends on the meat. The point is for the meat not to have a chewy consistency to it. Maybe about 30-45 minutes, after browning, but you can do other things while it simmers.

 

The only thing I can think of for whole, would be cochinita pibil. It wouldn't exactly be "authentic", since I doubt you will be digging a whole to burry it in banana leaves. You would need achiote, tangy (not sweet) oranges, banana leaves, and a few other things. It also takes a very long time to cook.

 

Truthfully, in Mexico, people use their ovens as storage spaces. Traditional Mexican food is not cooked in an oven.

 

Maybe if you give us an idea of something you have tried before and liked. I know lots of recipes, nut typing them all out would take weeks.;)

 

Danielle

 

Do you have a fav recipe for carnitas? I've never made them, but we love all foods, including Mexican :) I have a Mexican cookbook with two recipes for them. One boils the meat in lard and then fries til crispy outside; the other simmers in water til tender then fries until crisp on the outside. Honestly, I wouldn't mind using the lard, but we I'd rather not go to the store since I don't have any in the house. Is there any other fat I can substitute for the lard? I have coconut, olive, peanut and grapeseed oils. Would any of those work? Thanks!!

[Ohdanigirl]

Do you have a fav recipe for carnitas? I've never made them, but we love all foods, including Mexican :) I have a Mexican cookbook with two recipes for them. One boils the meat in lard and then fries til crispy outside; the other simmers in water til tender then fries until crisp on the outside. Honestly, I wouldn't mind using the lard, but we I'd rather not go to the store since I don't have any in the house. Is there any other fat I can substitute for the lard? I have coconut, olive, peanut and grapeseed oils. Would any of those work? Thanks!!

 

Well with prep and cook time this would take you at least 1 hour 30 min. Plus you need a salsa, cilantro, onions, herbs, , tortillas, etc , and vegetable oil would work. If you have your heart set on carnitas, I would follow a recipe you are already familiar with. You would still need to cut up the meat, though.

 

Danielle

[Pink Fairy]

Good lord -- NO!!

 

The Mexican-American food you describe (in red) is disgusting. And nothing like authentic carnitas dish like USDgal shared or what you said that is fried. I recall my tias or Abuela cooking like she described. To this day, I get depressed when I see recipes for Mexican food that in reality are not authentic and taste horrible. And let's not even begin to discuss store bought tortillas or Mexican food at restaurants... aiiiyyyeee!

 

P.S. My take on homemade tortillas and masa (for tamales) is it HAS to have lard in them... or there is no point in making them. *grin*

 

Oh please--disgusting? :001_huh: Whatever. Eat all the lard you want, but braised pork is delicious and I know Mexican people (from Mexico, not second generation) who make it this way. AND they call it carnitas.

[tex-mex]

Oh please--disgusting? :001_huh: Whatever. Eat all the lard you want, but braised pork is delicious and I know Mexican people (from Mexico, not second generation) who make it this way. AND they call it carnitas.

If your friends boil the pork and then shred it... then what they eat is Mexican-American food. ;) Or to be blunt -- stewed meat. (Carne guisada)

 

What chaps my hide are people who try to call dishes authentic by going NON-FAT. Or roast/boil the meat. These non-traditional methods tend to produce a less savory result. The traditional way to cook carnitas is in a copper pot which disperses the heat evenly (one may use any thick bottomed pot to get the same result). Lard is used to cover the dish in proportion to the amount of meat being cooked. Once the lard has melted, pork and flavorings are added. Traditional carnitas is then made by process of simmering the meat until tender over a very low heat. Once appropriate tenderness is achieved, the heat is turned up and the outside of the pork begins to crisp. The carnitas can then be cooled and shredded. If you go to a tacqueria, you will see the person haul out a piece of pork cooked this way and put on a countertop to be chopped by hand/cleaver. Once minced, it is then put into a corn tortilla with onions/cilantro/etc.

 

 

Like here in Texas, where anything covered in queso or salsa is a hybrid of the marriage of American tastes and Mexican cuisine. Please read the following:

http://www.foodtimeline.org/foodmexican.html

 

Age-old Debate on Tex-Mex/Southwestern Food versus Mexican Food:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/24/dining/24texm.html?pagewanted=all

 

Traditional carnitas are not made the way your Mexican friends describe. They love an "Americanized" dish.

 

And yes, once you have had authentic traditional food -- you cannot go back to what is deemed, "Tex-Mex" or "Mexican". (And yes, I am on MY SOAPBOX to all saying it is disgusting compared to authentic dishes made south of the border!!! :glare: Grrrr. Now you know why I go by my moniker name... LOL. I am a snob when it comes to what people call Mexican food north of the border.)

Edited May 5, 2012 by tex-mex

[Julie in CA]

Oh please--disgusting? :001_huh: Whatever. Eat all the lard you want, but braised pork is delicious and I know Mexican people (from Mexico, not second generation) who make it this way. AND they call it carnitas.

:001_huh: Who knew this would be one of "those" threads?

I think there's room for some leeway here, but it does seem to be true that the lovely & delicious braised pork that you (and occasionally I) have been enjoying, is not an *authentic* version of Carnitas. It happens all of the time though, that a recipe becomes changed over time to mean something different than the original.

 

I saw a recipe for "Low-Fat Creme Brulee" the other day.

Shocking, I tell you, simply shocking! ;)

It may be reminiscent of creme brulee, to be sure, and there's not necessarily a better name for it, so the old name sticks to a new (and not authentic) dish.

 

I think there's room for both dishes in our cooking repertoire, and we can each call things whatever strikes our fancy. Call it "Pork Surprise" if you wish, but don't be surprised if someone comes along who remembers the original. :001_smile: To each his/her own.

[Pippen]

I don't know how traditional recipe is, but we really like David Lebovitz's carnitas. I leave out the cinnamon and make it in my huge cast iron skillet.

 

http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2007/09/carnitas/

[TexasRachel]

If your friends boil the pork and then shred it... then what they eat is Mexican-American food. ;) Or to be blunt -- stewed meat. (Carne guisada)

 

What chaps my hide are people who try to call dishes authentic by going NON-FAT. Or roast/boil the meat. These non-traditional methods tend to produce a less savory result. The traditional way to cook carnitas is in a copper pot which disperses the heat evenly (one may use any thick bottomed pot to get the same result). Lard is used to cover the dish in proportion to the amount of meat being cooked. Once the lard has melted, pork and flavorings are added. Traditional carnitas is then made by process of simmering the meat until tender over a very low heat. Once appropriate tenderness is achieved, the heat is turned up and the outside of the pork begins to crisp. The carnitas can then be cooled and shredded. If you go to a tacqueria, you will see the person haul out a piece of pork cooked this way and put on a countertop to be chopped by hand/cleaver. Once minced, it is then put into a corn tortilla with onions/cilantro/etc.

 

 

Like here in Texas, where anything covered in queso or salsa is a hybrid of the marriage of American tastes and Mexican cuisine. Please read the following:

http://www.foodtimeline.org/foodmexican.html

 

Age-old Debate on Tex-Mex/Southwestern Food versus Mexican Food:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/24/dining/24texm.html?pagewanted=all

 

Traditional carnitas are not made the way your Mexican friends describe. They love an "Americanized" dish.

 

And yes, once you have had authentic traditional food -- you cannot go back to what is deemed, "Tex-Mex" or "Mexican". (And yes, I am on MY SOAPBOX to all saying it is disgusting compared to authentic dishes made south of the border!!! :glare: Grrrr. Now you know why I go by my moniker name... LOL. I am a snob when it comes to what people call Mexican food north of the border.)

 

But you're forgetting the regional differences. What we call tamales is vastly different than tamales from western Mexico. It's entirely possible that some areas of Mexico make carnitas in water like described. Although, yes that does sound more like guisada than carnitas. That said, if we want real Mexican food dh cooks it or we go out. Most of the time it just takes more time than I want to spend cooking.

[tex-mex]

But you're forgetting the regional differences. What we call tamales is vastly different than tamales from western Mexico. It's entirely possible that some areas of Mexico make carnitas in water like described. Although, yes that does sound more like guisada than carnitas. That said, if we want real Mexican food dh cooks it or we go out. Most of the time it just takes more time than I want to spend cooking.

True. And I do know a lot of regional differences are throughout Mexico.

 

And I think this is what is the essence of the original question posted. I ate tamales how my family made them and they originally (on my father's side) come from Guanajuato. I am used to sweet tamales, for example. But the sweet tamales I am used to have green OLIVES in them. And the savory taste as a result was amazing. Tamales bought locally compared to what I am used to taste bland. ;)

 

My maternal grandmother made her tamales with stewed (guisada) beef and Grandma's seasoning. She got a lot of flack from others over using pre-made seasoning, but she was forgiven as she made her masa from scratch (and with lard -- manteca). Years later, my grandma would crucify my poor aunt (she married into the family and was from Oaxaca -- my maternal family were original Texans going many generations back before statehood.) It was an epic battle every year for Christmas. Whoever dared suggest my Aunt's tamales tasted better than Grandma's was disowned as a traitor. Yet, my aunt's tamales tasted pretty good and she did not use dried corn husks, but banana leaves. :D

 

That same Aunt (Tia) made Chicken Mole from scratch... and it WAS AMAZING!!!! That woman could cook. I cannot eat another mole dish now 30 years later as she ruined my tastebuds. Anything else tastes disgusting.

 

One time I went to Chipolte and ordered a burrito. The server was an tall gentlemen who looked hispanic. He asked me what type of beans I wanted on my burrito. I said pinto. He grunted back at me in Spanish how only real Hispanics eat black beans. I told him back in Spanish how I am a REAL Mexican-American and Apache. My people are from the southwest. We have always eaten pinto beans. He looked shocked at me. I glared at him. My hubby had to apologize and move me on. HAAAAAA :lol::lol: So your point about any food regional is proven in my example.

 

Great topic! Sorry OP for hijacking the thread!!!!

Happy Cinco de Mayo

Edited May 5, 2012 by tex-mex

[Ohdanigirl]

Just curious to hear what you went with.

 

As far as the carnitas go... While there are many regional differences in food here in Mexico, Carnitas are pretty much the same anywhere you get them. It is usually a dish reserved for special occasions. Also, because you need a large copper pot that most people don't have lying around, many never learn to make carnitas.

 

As for beans, that is too funny. I think Tex-Mex makes a good point. We Mexican people are very passionate about food, and even disagree amongst ourselves. ;)

 

Danielle

[Brilliant]

This is my favorite: Spicy Citrus Pork Roast

 

It's for the slow cooker. So good; I might have to go out & buy a pork roast this week. :)

[whitestavern]

Well, authentic or not, I ended up making the carnitas with the water. My recipe called for cumin, oregano, garlic, chiles and salt. I cooked it for probably 3 hours, then removed the meat from the water and broiled it to crisp it up a bit. Served it with guac and a nice spicy pico de gallo type salsa in a tortilla. It was very yummy!!

[Ohdanigirl]

Well, authentic or not, I ended up making the carnitas with the water. My recipe called for cumin, oregano, garlic, chiles and salt. I cooked it for probably 3 hours, then removed the meat from the water and broiled it to crisp it up a bit. Served it with guac and a nice spicy pico de gallo type salsa in a tortilla. It was very yummy!!

 

Sounds good. Glad you enjoyed it.