Forums > Specific Focus > Mexican Kitchen

Anonimo

Feb 16, 2009, 4:14 AM

Post #1 of 15 (8814 views)

Shortcut

Carnitas Knowledge??

Can't Post | Private Reply

Just as a point of information, do professional carnitas cooks really season and cook their product with all the things that I've seen in home recipes?

Orange, o.k. maybe.
Milk? Come on...
Oregano? Might not be bad, but I can't detect any.
Sweeteners such as sugar, in order to caramelize the carnitas? Could be good, but I've not tasted sweetened carnitas in either michoacán or Querétaro.
Orange Fanta or Coca Cola. Give me a break!
Beer. Why do so many cooks so often think much Mexican food has beer in it?
Salt. Well, sure.

I'm not planning on cooking any carnitas at home, as we have several excellent sources for them professionally made, at a reasonable price. Besides, I limit myself to indulging in this rich, often fatty dish maybe three times a year.

Saludos,
Anonimo

(This post was edited by Anonimo on Feb 16, 2009, 4:16 AM)

Rolly

Feb 16, 2009, 6:59 AM

Post #2 of 15 (8801 views)

Shortcut

Re: [Anonimo] Carnitas Knowledge??

Can't Post | Private Reply

I have observed the cooking in several carnitas shops in Lerdo. None has used any seasonings at all. I did a photo essay on one of them: http://rollybrook.com/carnitas-1.htm

Rolly Pirate

(This post was edited by Rolly on Feb 16, 2009, 11:19 AM)

esperanza

Feb 16, 2009, 8:44 AM

Post #3 of 15 (8792 views)

Shortcut

Re: [Rolly] Carnitas Knowledge??

Can't Post | Private Reply

Rolly is right. No seasonings.

Here in Morelia, Restaurante Los Caporales sells incredibly delicious carnitas, the second-best I've ever eaten. Get there before three o'clock (for carryout--we like to buy it and bring it home) and ask for either carne jugosa or a combination of carne jugosa and costillas. The woman who waits on you will give you a big chunk as a 'taste'.

The meat has almost no fat and is tender as butter. The frijolitos refritos are also fantastic. A kilo of carnitas will set you back about 150 pesos, a medio kilo de frijolitos another 25 or so, and it's all well worth it for several meals.

http://www.mexicocooks.typepad.com

Anonimo

Feb 16, 2009, 10:59 AM

Post #4 of 15 (8782 views)

Shortcut

Re: [esperanza] Carnitas Knowledge??

Can't Post | Private Reply

Esperanza; which of the Los Caporales do you prefer? On Camelinas not far from Costco or the one close by Star Médica?

We once ate (not carnitas, though; terrible overcooked, hardened queso fundido, a soupy, acidic molcajete and a passable chamorro) at the Caporales closer to Costco, so we were not pleased with the food.

Noted: we were just about the only customers in the restaurant at the time.

esperanza

Feb 16, 2009, 12:12 PM

Post #5 of 15 (8776 views)

Shortcut

Re: [Anonimo] Carnitas Knowledge??

Can't Post | Private Reply

We like the one by Star Médica, and only for carnitas and frijolitos. The salsas are awful, ask for minced onion and cilantro instead and use your own salsa at home. We don't actually eat at either of the restaurants; the comida-hour music is too loud for these ears.

http://www.mexicocooks.typepad.com

sioux4noff

Feb 16, 2009, 1:40 PM

Post #6 of 15 (8768 views)

Shortcut

Re: [Anonimo] Carnitas Knowledge??

Can't Post | Private Reply

Twice I have been involved in cooking carnitas with Mexican friends.
Both times CocaCola was put in the lard, as were oranges and pineapples and salt.
No milk, no oregano that I saw.
Neither time was for commecial purposes, just for a group.

Carron

Feb 17, 2009, 12:02 PM

Post #7 of 15 (8735 views)

Shortcut

Re: [sioux4noff] Carnitas Knowledge??

Can't Post | Private Reply

When I first moved to Houston 35 years ago, there was a Mexican widow named Ninfa with lots of children who opened a small taco stand which soon became a restaurant empire throughout Texas. (When she died of cancer, her sons sold out and there went the neighborhood, so to speak.) Anyway, her way of making carnitas was once the subject of a popular public television cooking program. She used milk. I can't remember exactly how she did it, but I think she soaked the pork in milk first, then did the long, slow deep frying. Or maybe she added the milk into the lard. I know part of the traditional technique includes using a liquid in the lard which tenderizes the meat, then boils away and allows the lard to brown and crisp the outside of the meat. I don't think she used any other seasonings.

We have an agricultural program here in Coahuila which encourages people to use what they produce in innovative ways. Similar to county extension agents in the US. My daughter attended one of their meetings several years ago with our landlady. The product promotion that evening was carnitas de borrego (chunks of locally raised lamb). She said it was delicious. We usually just roast or pot roast our lambs. Making carnitas seems to be one of those procedures best left to those cooks with commercial equipment.

Jetski

Mar 21, 2009, 3:23 AM

Post #8 of 15 (8505 views)

Shortcut

Re: [Anonimo] Carnitas Knowledge??

Can't Post | Private Reply

Mazatlan and area carniceros cover the meat with Leche Clavel and salt before putting it in the hot oil to make carnitas de puerco.

Anonimo

Mar 21, 2009, 5:08 AM

Post #9 of 15 (8502 views)

Shortcut

Re: [Jetski] Carnitas Knowledge??

Can't Post | Private Reply

I don't know why, but that sounds SO unappetizing.

Saludos,
Anonimo

Anonimo

Mar 21, 2009, 5:14 AM

Post #10 of 15 (8502 views)

Shortcut

Re: [Anonimo] Carnitas Knowledge??

Can't Post | Private Reply

My sister-in-law will be visiting us for 8 days in early April, and we hope that she'll be interested in visiting Quiroga, where our favorite carnitas are served from the one of the many stands in front of the plaza. (IMO, carnitas are at their best in a raffish outdoor setting, not in a restaurant with tablecoths and waiters.

Saludos,
Anonimo

Jetski

Mar 21, 2009, 1:57 PM

Post #11 of 15 (8482 views)

Shortcut

Re: [Anonimo] Carnitas Knowledge??

Can't Post | Private Reply

Haha, deep fried condensed milk...I hadn't really thought much about it but the end result tastes great. Maybe we are talking about different types of carnitas though, these sur de Sinaloa style are mainly pieces of pork meat with whatever attached fat cut up into about 1 1/2 inch squares and then deep fried in a big vat, usually the bottom third of an old oil drum until golden brown, usually more meat than fat and 75% of the time pure meat. The golden color and some flavor comes from the milk though, and if you ask a local carnitas maker if he used Leche Clavel one can get at least a fair non-tourist price as he knows he's talking with another carnicero. Tricks of the trade known to tradesmen. ;-)

(This post was edited by Jetski on Mar 26, 2009, 6:28 PM)

sioux4noff

Mar 21, 2009, 6:49 PM

Post #12 of 15 (8451 views)

Shortcut

Re: [Anonimo] Carnitas Knowledge??

Can't Post | Private Reply

I have never seen carnitas in a restuaran with tablecloths and waiters, anonimo.

Anonimo

Mar 21, 2009, 7:23 PM

Post #13 of 15 (8445 views)

Shortcut

Re: [sioux4noff] Carnitas Knowledge??

Can't Post | Private Reply

Don Carmelo's has a restaurant in Quiroga, as well as the outdoor stands. There's also El Rey de Las Carnitas, on the plaza.

At the upper end of the spectrum is Restaurante El Bajío, in México, DF. their website is http://carnitaselbajio.com.mx. I have never had the carnitas there, which are served either Michoacán syle and El Bajío style. As there are so many great carnitas close to home, I chose more interesting dishes from Veracruz state, from whence comes the Chef-owner, Sra. Carmen Ramírez Degollado.

Buen provecho,
Anonimo
I'm delighted to see that the web site has been extensively updated and improved.

I tell friends asking about where to eat in Mexico City that if they go to only one Mexican restaurant, go to El Bajío. (Preferably at the original location in Delegacíon Azcapotzalco.)

Saludos,
Anonimo

Jetski

Mar 21, 2009, 7:41 PM

Post #14 of 15 (8443 views)

Shortcut

Re: [Anonimo] Carnitas Knowledge??

Can't Post | Private Reply

Mexico es comida.

Anonimo

Mar 26, 2009, 6:24 AM

Post #15 of 15 (8393 views)

Shortcut

Re: [Anonimo] Carnitas Knowledge??

Can't Post | Private Reply

More carnitas, this time nicely seasoned, in a New York Times article
http://tinyurl.com/ckwjmd

Recipe: Tacos de Carnitas: http://tinyurl.com/ctsrca
(Although this sound good, it's unlike any authentic Mexican carnitas I've ever had.)

Buen provecho,
Anonimo