Its cold here in the east, so when you can leave the oven on for a few hours to make delicious food, its generally a good idea to do so. Reformed (notorious) Baltimore party boi, Nicholas Crabtops, sent this Carnitas recipe to get you started.
CARNITAS:
Braising is my favorite way to cook meat.
Start with a shoulder
Break it down to good sized chunks and remove more or less fat and connective tissue
Save the scraps and make
chicharrones (do that)
Season the meat with S&P, oregano, and cumin
Brown it in batches
If I don't have any home made stock I use a mix of chicken, beef, and veg, plus a jar of salsa verde, also add and onion, garlic, bay leaves, and some chilis
Cook low and slow with a tight lid at 215 for 3-4 hours
Don't look so percky anymore
Remove the meat and bust it up with forks use some braising liquid for lube, spread it on a baking sheet and roast for 15min at 350 to crisp it up. No pics i was too excited
Saute some brussel sprouts and steame with a little bit of that lube... serve with rice.
Add cilantro, onion, avacado, and pickled jalapenos, with some warm tortillas
Buenas Noches
Questions for Crabtops? ...he is
HERE
