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Posted on Mon, May. 04, 2009

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PORK WEEK: CARNITAS

The swine flu, er, the H1N1 virus, is a bad thing. But pork is a good thing. (Reminder: Eating pork won't give you HIN1). To help restore the reputation of our bacon and pork-chop providing friends, we'll share some of our best pork recipes this week.

This recipe for carnitas comes from Bruce Aidells's "Complete Book of Pork," and is easy and delicious. Serve the finished product in corn tortillas with pico and your favorite taco toppings.

INGREDIENTS

Carnitas spice rub:

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander seed

2 teaspoons kosher salt

2 teaspoons chili powder (ancho or New Mexico recommended, but regular works)

3 lbs. boneless Boston butt, cut into 1 ½ - to 2-inch pieces, stripped of visible fat

¼cup olive oil

½cup red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon honey

½cup chicken stock or canned chicken broth

1 large onion, diced

DIRECTIONS

Combine all of the rub ingredients in a medium bowl. Add the pork to the rub and toss well to coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or up to 48 hours.

In a large deep covered skillet or casserole, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Working in small batches, cook the pork until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer pork with a slotted spoon as it's cooked to a plate and continue cooking the remaining pieces. When all the pork is browned, set the pot aside. Do not drain.

In a small bowl, stir the vinegar with the honey until the honey dissolves. Stir in the chicken stock and add the mixture to the pot, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom. Add the onion and bring the liquid to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat to maintain a simmer, return the pork to the pot cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pork is fork-tender, 1 to 1 ¼ hours.

Remove the cover and increase the heat slightly to maintain a lively simmer. Continue to cook until the liquid has evaporated and the fat from the pork is bubbling, about 30 minutes. As soon as the pork begins to brown, stir regularly to prevent burning. The pork is done when it has become golden to dark brown and is nicely crisped. Remove the pot from heat and set aside to cool slightly. Shred by hand, chop with a knife or serve as is, with a mixture of large and small pieces.