Even though it isn’t BBQ, I figured that I could share this with you all since it is delicious and it does, after all, involve one of my favorite cuts of meat… the pork butt. My family has a tradition of cooking carnitas outdoors on Easter Sunday and feasting on tacos and downing a couple of cold ones. It’s a day that I am not the one responsible for the Q… and gives me some time to just kickback and enjoy the party.
Carnitas are traditionally cooked inside of a “caso†(large copper pot) and deep fat fried in lard until the meat is tender and a tasty crust develops. Pork butts aren’t the only things that are cooked in the lard, Brother X also likes to drop in a rack or two of spare ribs to boot… deep fat fried ribs, as if the ribs weren’t fatty enough. We chop up the carnitas and wrap them in a tortilla, sprinkle some cilantro and onions and a dollop of homemade salsa. It’s a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon.
Brother X, doing his thing
A caso filled with boiling lard and pieces of pork butt, mmmmmm!
Brother X, cutting up some deep fried ribs.
Tacos de carnitas (carnitas tacos)
Here is an indoor version of the recipe:
Ingredients:
-
1 pork butt
2 pound of lard (or oil)
2 lemons
Salt
2 lemons
Half a can of Coke or Pepsi
Optional
Fresh salsa
Tortillas
Onions and Cilantro diced and mixed together
Trim excess fat from the pork butt and cube into 3 to 4 inch pieces. Heat up lard in a large (large enough to fit the lard and pork with room to spare) dutch oven to 375 F (or right before the lard starts to smoke). Add the soda and let then start adding the meat piece by piece. If the lard starts to cool too much wait for it to reheat before you add more pieces of pork. Don’t let the pot get too full; you can always cook the meat in two batches. Stir the lard and pork every few minutes making sure that it doesn’t stick to the side and that all parts are getting cooked equally. The meat is done when the it is a nice brown color and the internal temperature of the meat reaches 180 F. You can always take out a piece and see if it’s cooked through. Remove the meat and let it drain in a metal colander over a cookie sheet.
Chop up the meat with a cleaver, add some salt and squeeze some fresh lemon juice over the meat. You can serve it on a plate with your favorite side dishes and a batch of tortillas… or you can heat up some tortillas fill with meat add some diced onion and cilantro and top it off with your favorite salsa.
IMPORTANT: Never use water to put out an oil fire: the water will splatter the burning oil and spread it more quickly. Instead, smother the flames with a tight-fitting lid or sheet of aluminum foil. If the fire has spread outside the pan, suffocate it with baking soda or a fire extinguisher formulated for oil fires.*
*warning courtesy of http://www.culinary-yours.com
March 26, 2008 at 11:45 am
T what temp do you keep the lard at to prevent the pork from burning? What do you do if the pork starts to burn while making carnitas?
January 10, 2009 at 12:21 pm
Ohhh! watch out when you add the coke! I let it start to smoke alittle before putting in the coke and when just enough of smoke was visible that I had to look hard to tell if it was smoke, anyways good thing I poured it in slow …’cause I thought it was going to explode! I just put half of what is recomended and they instantly turned brown added a orange also..Just give you people some “Heads Up” and away from the pot as far as you can when pouring it…even if the oil is not boiling don’t be fooled! ITS HOT! cooking it now 01-10-09 12:30 am slooowly. smells good!
September 19, 2009 at 4:54 pm
I fell in love with carnitas while working with Hispanics in Georgia. I want to buy my own copper pot to cook them in, I have tried other pots but there is just something about the slow cooking in a big copper pot outside with everyone milling around……….there is nothing like it. I have been searching FOREVER to find a pot, but I am not having any luck. I found this post while searching for one actually. I am hoping you can point me in the right direction.
January 8, 2012 at 11:18 am
I read your post and would recommend you look at your local flea market. I don’t know where you live but I live in San Jose, CA. We have a very large hispanic community here so I was able to get me a huge copper caso there. If you can’t find one where you live find a friend in california or maybe even go to TJ Mexico and get one.
December 29, 2009 at 1:34 pm
What is the best way to season a new caso?
January 6, 2010 at 9:34 am
This is just what I was looking for thanks for the info.
August 31, 2010 at 7:52 am
Thank you very much for your post share. Great I really like your blog and I have learned something from it.
October 3, 2010 at 12:11 pm
where can I purchase a mexican caso for deep frying carnitas?
October 6, 2010 at 4:20 pm
Where can I purchase a Caso?
October 19, 2010 at 11:19 am
I am a latino that lives in sc. tried your carnita recipee was primo. thanks I dont get alot of my down home food this was nice. I cook souther bbq all the time but this is diffrent better.
February 19, 2011 at 9:55 am
Making these right now, pretty much the same recipe, but put coke in about an hour befor their done, and use no juice…. usuall throw a whole or quartered onion in too, useing the remaing lard to deep fry corn tortillias for tostadas to put the meat on with white mexican cheese,avacado, and homemade salsa.
February 25, 2011 at 8:01 pm
i am a seasoned proffessional at eating carnitas. been doing it since i was a wee lil scallywag. so we had a genius idea while kicking back drinking some cold chellas. the idea was to make some of our own carnitas. so here we are, rainy ass day, cold beers, manteca, pork, the bros and nobody knows how to make em…haaaaaaaa. Google here we come. thanks for the quick lesson. if im not too drunk after this whole ordeal, and if i remember i might let you know how it turned out. Arrrrrrgh mateys cheers
September 21, 2011 at 10:51 pm
Where can i buy a caso like the on shown here when you are making carnitas?
September 23, 2011 at 5:06 am
Cazo pans are often listed on eBay under “copper bowls”. You can sometimes get a good deal on them there. Good luck!
January 8, 2012 at 2:54 pm
I just purchased mine in California at a Mexican flee market. I paid $230 for one almost exactly like the one in the picture. I see them from time to time here. You’ve gotta jump on it when they are avail. They usually get snatched up quick. The guy I bought mine from, usually carries a few of them in various sizes.
October 8, 2011 at 6:38 am
The salsa.hot sauce looks delish, do you have a recipe for that as well?
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