HOF, if there were such a thing,
Carnitas on the menu here, along with the usual chips, salsa, queso, veggies, and veggie dip.
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The food here is terrible. I return protein to the grocery stores with some regularity because it is inedible. I have never done this before in my life in the dozen or so places I’ve lived. But at least I can find goat and lamb. The goat is pretty goaty, but the lamb is usually really good and it’s not idiotically expensive.
Are you cooking the carnitas from scratch? I’ve never been able to get them right, or at least like the way I want them. I think I’m fucking up the spices or the cooking process.
Close enough. If you’re interested I can find you local “locker plants” or even better, ranchers, who deal with that stuff straight off the ranch.
Yes, of course.
This is the usual complaint, and it’s because: not fed on the right stuff, harvested too late, butchered improperly
I usually just let it decant for a while. I don’t mind goaty goat, actually. I typically stew it for hours in an adobo and then remove the meat from the bones and use it for tacos.
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Goats. Lots and lots of goats.
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I’m using a technique from Serious Eats that turns out a pretty reasonable facsimile. If you’re not willing to have a giant vat of lard and cook tens of pounds of meat, you’re not going to produce the real thing.
Cut up the pork shoulder into 2”-ish pieces, rub it down with some salt (and pepper, if you want), pack it into a baking dish with some garlic, onion, bay leaves, and a cinnamon stick. Quarter an orange (it would probably be better with a genuine Mexican sour orange, but I never see those around here), squeeze the juice over the meat, tuck the oranges in, and then spread some vegetable oil over the top. You read all about the logic behind the technique over at the site, but the main idea is to keep the meat tightly packed so that it kind turns into a confit as it renders its fat and the connective tissue breaks down. When it’s all cooked (3 1/2 to 4 hours later), you drain the meat, let the juice and fat separate, break the meat up into smaller pieces, add the fat back to the meat, and then crisp the meat up under the broiler.
It’s less work than it sounds like, and the result is pretty good.
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Also, these cheese sticks, which are insanely good: Spicy, Crispy, Addictive Cheese Sticks | Alexandra's Kitchen
I love Serious Eats.
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4-legged-mowers, 200 goats and 100 cattles was Granny’s answer
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Would you like to eat a bunch of hard boiled eggs?
Ok, but what if I cut the insides out, then mixed it up with mayo, pickles, and paprika, then put all that back in?
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Don’t let me forget and we’ll talk next week.
Springtime is coming, and that’s when you want your lambs and goat kids.
eta: the mayo and pickles are what screw it all up; mustard, horseradish is where it’s at
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I’m smoking St. Louis cut pork ribs and wings and Mrs banedoodle made spin-art dip and we’re walking across the street to a neighborhood party where apparently there will also be pigs in blankets and nachos and various other stuff brought in. The ribs are from Franklin’s book: a foolproof and flawless recipe.
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There are few social occasions where nachos and pigs in blankets are not appropriate.
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I need to pick up that book for this spring and summer.
I had the word “pizza” in the history of forever here in Norway. There were like 10 “artisan” styles to choose from and 9 were horrible (fermented cabbage with a mustard glaze, WTH???) with only one slightly edible: “pepperoni (not really) and jalapeños.
Flying home tomorrow to comfort food…
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