Hi All !
I've cooked pork butt a number of times on my Traeger with good results. There's always one side that is drier and tougher, and one part that is incredible. I later learned that the competition guys call the best part the "money muscle" and have names for the other parts as well.
I like the PBS program, "Pati's Mexican Table" with Pati Jinich. She visits places and then comes home and cooks a kitchen version.
I had not realized that:
1. Carnitas originated in Michoacan, which is also the most famous place for carnitas still.
2. The traditional way of cooking them is to cook them at low/medium heat (not fry!) in lard. I didn't realize that cooking at low temp in oil is called braising. Although she said that many people down there may cook in pressure cooker before giving them the braising treatment, maybe not braising, not clear on that.
I wanted some smoke flavor and I like a bit of crispiness, so I was trying to figure out how to do a hybrid version. Because it takes me 10 hours or so to smoke and she only has it on the stove for 90 minutes or so, in a giant braising pan that she referred to as a casserole.
I cut the two boneless pieces of pork, totalling 15lbs, into 3 to 4" pieces. I had bought a large aluminum foil disposable "roasting pan" for $3 at a local grocery store. I put half the pieces on the top rack of the Traeger, and the rest left in the pan directly underneath to catch any rendered fat. Then after an hour or so I switched their places. After another hour I brought the pan in with all the meat.
Then I made up this concoction of water plus and onion, garlic, herbs, salt, etc. and pureed it in a blender before pouring over the meat in the roasting pan. (Pati's recipe more or less.) I covered it with foil and put it in the oven at 325. (She does it on the stovetop but cannot do with a foil roasting pan.)
Conundrum #1 - I checked the fluid in the pan and with the oven at 325, it was only ~175F. So I kept turning up the oven. It was only when I set it to over 400 and took the foil all the top of the pan that the liquid got up to simmering temp. Why is this ? Would a cast iron pot behave differently?
Conundrum #2 - Not sure if submerging 2/3 of the way in liquid will leech out the smoke flavor?
One show I saw had them taking the lid off for the last hour (it was in the oven) to get the exposed tops a little crispy.
It took about 2 hours on the smoker, then about 6 hours in the oven, to my surprise. I took the foil off just in the hope that the liquid temp would come up.
But FINALLY they became falling apart tender, except for a couple of pieces that were very soft but not falling apart.
Lots of good advice here, I have always remembered the one "put them in a pressure cooker with a can of Rotel". I had to look up Rotel, and unfortunately I don't have a pressure cooker, but it was interesting to learn on one of the shows, either Pati or "Milk Street", that many people down in Mexico don't have big ovens etc. and that they cook them in a pressure cooker.
Any thoughts on this subject in general, or on particular aspects will be appreciated ! ! !
I've cooked pork butt a number of times on my Traeger with good results. There's always one side that is drier and tougher, and one part that is incredible. I later learned that the competition guys call the best part the "money muscle" and have names for the other parts as well.
I like the PBS program, "Pati's Mexican Table" with Pati Jinich. She visits places and then comes home and cooks a kitchen version.
I had not realized that:
1. Carnitas originated in Michoacan, which is also the most famous place for carnitas still.
2. The traditional way of cooking them is to cook them at low/medium heat (not fry!) in lard. I didn't realize that cooking at low temp in oil is called braising. Although she said that many people down there may cook in pressure cooker before giving them the braising treatment, maybe not braising, not clear on that.
I wanted some smoke flavor and I like a bit of crispiness, so I was trying to figure out how to do a hybrid version. Because it takes me 10 hours or so to smoke and she only has it on the stove for 90 minutes or so, in a giant braising pan that she referred to as a casserole.
I cut the two boneless pieces of pork, totalling 15lbs, into 3 to 4" pieces. I had bought a large aluminum foil disposable "roasting pan" for $3 at a local grocery store. I put half the pieces on the top rack of the Traeger, and the rest left in the pan directly underneath to catch any rendered fat. Then after an hour or so I switched their places. After another hour I brought the pan in with all the meat.
Then I made up this concoction of water plus and onion, garlic, herbs, salt, etc. and pureed it in a blender before pouring over the meat in the roasting pan. (Pati's recipe more or less.) I covered it with foil and put it in the oven at 325. (She does it on the stovetop but cannot do with a foil roasting pan.)
Conundrum #1 - I checked the fluid in the pan and with the oven at 325, it was only ~175F. So I kept turning up the oven. It was only when I set it to over 400 and took the foil all the top of the pan that the liquid got up to simmering temp. Why is this ? Would a cast iron pot behave differently?
Conundrum #2 - Not sure if submerging 2/3 of the way in liquid will leech out the smoke flavor?
One show I saw had them taking the lid off for the last hour (it was in the oven) to get the exposed tops a little crispy.
It took about 2 hours on the smoker, then about 6 hours in the oven, to my surprise. I took the foil off just in the hope that the liquid temp would come up.
But FINALLY they became falling apart tender, except for a couple of pieces that were very soft but not falling apart.
Lots of good advice here, I have always remembered the one "put them in a pressure cooker with a can of Rotel". I had to look up Rotel, and unfortunately I don't have a pressure cooker, but it was interesting to learn on one of the shows, either Pati or "Milk Street", that many people down in Mexico don't have big ovens etc. and that they cook them in a pressure cooker.
Any thoughts on this subject in general, or on particular aspects will be appreciated ! ! !
Comment