Beef carnitas, the best mexican recipe - HORNO MX (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to good carnitas? ›

Carnitas seasoning – rub pork with a simple spice mix of oregano, cumin, salt and pepper. Flavour for cooking – top pork in slow cooker with onion, garlic and jalapeño, then pour over orange juice (the secret ingredient!).

Pork shoulder: Traditionally, carnitas is made with pork shoulder (also known as pork butt) because of its higher fat content. The fat helps to keep the meat extremely juicy and tender while cooking.

Pulled Pork. Both carnitas and pulled pork are cooked slowly for several hours, and great to make in the slow cooker or instant pot. Unlike pulled pork, however, carnitas are finished by roasting the meat in the oven until browned and crisp.

Then we use the usual suspects! Black pepper, cumin, sweet paprika but you can use hot or smoked if you desire, onion and garlic powder, oregano, marjoram, bay, thyme and in my case a bit of ancho chili powder.

The orange juice in the cooking liquid provides acidity that helps break down the meat so it's extra tender and juicy.

Adding the oranges is very much like braising pork Cuban-style for the traditional cubano sandwich. The milk acts as a tenderizer, a secret I learned while growing up watching dad make his carnitas which, by the way, were always exceptionally tender.

Occasionally turn the pork pieces with a spatula, so that they brown evenly. Add the milk to the pot and continue to cook the pork for another 20 minutes, until the carnitas are golden brown. Using a slotted spoon, remove the carnitas from the cooking pot and drain on paper towels.

If you like beef, then barbacoa is the way to go. However, if you prefer pork, then carnitas is the better option. If you like things spicy, then barbacoa might be the way to go. Its blend of spices and chili peppers creates a bold and robust flavor that is sure to satisfy your taste buds.

Flavoring-wise, the critical difference is pineapple and onion. Al Pastor often uses pineapple and a spicier final product, which balances out well. Carnitas don't have the sweet, tangy element and often have a more focused pork fat/savory taste profile.

The Al Pastor meat is usually made from boneless pork shoulder, which is a triangular cut from the area just above the front leg of the pig. Butchers often sell pork shoulder with the skin on and a layer of fat. The al pastor taco has to be cooked on a rotating spit.

What meat is barbacoa? ›

Barbacoa is a method of cooking meat (historically lamb or goat, though beef or pork is often used today) that produces tender and juicy results. It's traditionally steam-cooked underground, but modern barbacoa can be prepared over an open fire, on the stove, or in a slow cooker.

Add Onion, Garlic and Citrus: Place the seasoned pork in the bottom of the slow cooker then add garlic, chopped onions, orange juice, and lime juice around it.

Carnitas is associated with festive occasions, and it's usually consumed during weekends, particularly on Sundays, the traditional “mercado”, or marketplace, day in Mexico. Carnitas vendors are a common, some would even say indispensable, sight at any tianguis (another word for marketplace!) in all states.

Yes, you could make carnitas using vegetable oil instead of lard. But as they say, life is short. At the restaurant, we render the lard ourselves— something you can do if you can find extra-fatty pork. But for ready-to go lard, check out your local butcher shop or Mexican market.

For our carnitas, we want the temperature of the confit cooking fat to be about 200°F (93°C) or a little higher. At this temperature, we won't be drying out the surface of the meat cubes while we heat their centers.

They are braised until they are fall apart tender. Then they get roasted in the oven to make the outside crisp. So part of them should be soft, and part of the outside should be crusty. Some recipes don't crisp up the meat at the end but authentic carnitas should be crispped.

Step One: The trick to getting the most flavorful carnitas, is to sear the pork before allowing it to braise for hours. First, season the pork with a liberal sprinkle of salt and then sear the pork pieces on both sides until golden brown in avocado oil. Browning the meat helps to develop a rich deep flavor.

Just go for water, then. Water and a touch of neutral flavoured vegetable oil or lard or suet if you have any of those. And don't overdo the water, just sprinkle a few spoonsful and keep the meat covered. Another alternative is to add a bit extra water and then cook off the water when you're ready to serve.