Carnitas With Lime Sour Cream.

Dave has been bugging me to make carnitas for ages.  I’ve avoided it because I was totally intimidated.  Honestly, there aren’t many things in the kitchen that freak me out and I don’t know why {now that I’ve made them} that they had me so nervous.  Maybe it’s just that Dave always picks these things like making our own sushi rice or his crazy forays into smoking things or other highly INVOLVED dishes.  So, I did some reading and looking for an authentic recipe.  In case you didn’t know, authentic carnitas are made by slow cooking pork in a vat of lard for several hours until everything breaks down into a yummy porky goodness.

Totally healthy.

One of these days I’m going to have my friend Carmen teach me the real way to make them.  She tells me that I can just pick up a bucket of lard.  Who knew??  Until then, we found a great recipe from an old Williams-Sonoma cookbook that we received for our wedding.

Do people even use cookbooks anymore?  Apparently, we do.

This recipe does use the rendered pork fat and a tiny bit of oil, but it doesn’t require cooking all day or a vat of lard.  Instead it is boiled first to break down the meat.  The result is a delicious version of carnitas. 

Lime Sour Cream

• 1 cup sour cream
• zest of one lime
• juice of half a lime

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Carnitas {Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Mexican cookbook}

• 3 lb boneless pork shoulder
• 6 cloves garlic
• zest of two oranges
• 3/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
• 1/4 t onion powder
• black pepper
• sea salt
• beer
• 2 TB oil

Cut pork into pieces.  Add the pork to a heavy bottomed pan or frying pan, add the garlic, orange zest, orange juice, onion powder, black pepper, and sea salt.  The meat should be in a single layer if possible.  Add the beer to just cover the meat and bring to a boil over medium heat.  Reduce to medium low and partially cover, cook until all of the liquid has evaporated, about one hour.

Uncover the pan and continue cooking the pork until all the fat is rendered and the meat is browning in the melted fat, 10 – 15 minutes.  If necessary {it was necessary when we did it} add the 2 TB of oil.  When the meat is brown and crisp, remove and serve.

Serve on corn or flour tortillas with fresh guacamole, lettuce, fresh salsa and the lime sour cream.