Tuesday, November 11, 2008

(Not So) Secret Pomegranate Carnitas


This is the way I ate my carnitas: on a tortilla smothered in goat cheese.

 The truth is, I'd rather share the recipe than hoard it.  That's why I'm calling them (Not So) Secret Carnitas, rather than my initial inclination to call them Secret Carnitas.  The secret ingredients are mentioned in the directions, but not on the ingredients list.  I was inspired to create this recipe after working with the Chevy's Cookbook recipe several times.  They use Pepsi, I'm using sprite for a lighter and more fruity flavor.  They use OJ, and I am using several different juices.  The method is the same.  Anyway, enough with the explanations, here's the goods:

Ingredients:
-1 lb pork butt or shoulder
-2 cloves garlic, chopped
-2 or 3 teaspoons paprika
-a pinch of cayenne
-salt & pepper
-1L of Sprite or maybe more, get a 2L bottle
-1/2 cup orange juice
-3 squirts lemon juice
-2 or 3 pomegranates
-3 tablespoons of shortening

Directions:
1. Cut the pork into cubes.  Remove the excess fat.
2. Combine paprika, cayenne, garlic, salt and pepper in a large bowl.  Toss the pork cubes in this mixture.
3. Pour in about 2 cups of sprite, the OJ, and the LJ.  Squeeze the juice of two pomegranates into the bowl.  Strain the juice through your (clean) hands so the skin doesn't get in there.  Let the seeds in though.  Stir.  Cover the bowl and marinate it in the fridge for a few hours or overnight.
4.  When you are ready, take the pork out of the fridge.  Heat the shortening in a large pot until it starts smoking.  Then (carefully) put the pork into the shortening, reserving the marinade.
5. Brown the pork in the shortening for fifteen minutes.
6. Pour the reserved marinade into the pot.  Stir and then simmer for 2 hours.  (I know, it takes a long time, but it's worth it.)  
7. Cover with additional sprite, and add pomegranate juice as needed to cover.  *Psst: you can also add little bit of honey or sugar once everything gets cookin'!
8.When the pork is ready it will be dark and very moist.  It should sort of fall apart when you get ahold of it.  
9.To serve, warm a tortilla in a tiny bit of oil and heap a couple of pork pieces on top.  I spread *goat cheese on my yellow corn tortilla and layered the carnitas on top of that. The perfect taco?  Could be.  You could add whatever condiments you want.  Oh yeah.

8 comments:

Norm Schoen said...

I love good Carnitas

Chef E said...

These really look good -E

Maya said...

Thanks! They taste really good too, I promise.

Anonymous said...

Oh, oh, oh - these look super-fantastic! I love carnitas, and this looks like something I can easily make at home. Yum!

Hal B said...

Those look good, very good. Mmmmmm, swine.

Joie de vivre said...

Those look AMAZING! I bet the contrast of the goat cheese with the sweet glaze was good. Well done!

Christo Gonzales said...

this sounds good....

where have you been?

Sapuche said...

Everything about this says delicious. I've never cooked with soda, but that may soon change. I love the idea of pork butt, spices, and pomegranates together (not to mention the goat cheese at the end), and I can only hope that mine would turn out as beautifully as yours did. Thanks for sharing this!