Looking for Smoked, Pull Butt Options: Carnitas or Al Pastor please?

[jjdbike]

Hello friends,

Looking hard to my next men's gathering. As always, I like to have a delicious food offering as I feel that breaking bread together adds a special element to our gatherings.

That being said, I have two packs of Costco Business Butts in the freezer, 16lbs each. I'll skip the connivence of the pellet cooker and go straight to the KBQ stick burner.

Since there is 32 lbs uncooked, I'll do at least two different flavor profiles.

*One traditional BBQ profile w/ classic sweet BBQ rub w/ mustard binder, adding a little sauce to the pull. I

*'lm also looking to do a Mexican carnitas or al pastor. I know they're very different and neither are typically smoked. I'm respectfully requesting ideas and recipes for my smoked pulled butts. I'll serve this Mexican profile in tacos, rolled taquitos, fajitas, etc...

Thanks in advance!
JD

[Purc]

Here are several YT videos showing Mexican Style Pulled Pork. Hopes this helps.

As always, YMMV

From Matt Pitman of Meat Church

https://youtu.be/UkenVuBMW5o

From Malcom Reed of How to BBQ Right

https://youtu.be/LqH2P2V1gpE

From Heath Riles BBQ

https://youtu.be/YKAB6hHAxi0

[jjdbike]

Thanks @Purc!
As you know, I’m a big fan of Matt’s.
JD

[TripleB]

How many men?

[texastweeter]

Check out Spinakers carnitas recipe. Always a crowd pleaser. I prefer the OJ based marinade version myself.

[jjdbike]

Thanks @texastweeter!
JD

[SheilaAnn]

1000 times this jjdbike

[jjdbike]

How many men?

Hi TripleB
Between 6 & 10, plus, I want significant leftovers.
JD

[TripleB]

Yes, for 10 people you will have a lot of leftovers with 16 lbs of pork. Me, I would do just one butt and save the other.

[shify]

Another option for a smoked Mexican pulled pork would be to look at cochinita pibil recipes.

Classically its wrapped in banana leaves and cooked underground and has a bit of earthy/smokiness when cooked that way and can easily be translated to a smoker. And if you do, some roasted habanero salsa and pickled red onions make a great topping

[texastweeter]

Yeah I make it by crutching in banana leaves and putting in a small foil pan.

[barelfly]

You have some great recommendations above.

Spinaker’s À la Maquina recipe
Cochinita pibil
or just regular Carnitas

I think you could do the Cochinita Pibil in your KBQ, wrapped up in leaves and a pan along with the other pork. Like shify says, it does have an earthy flavor using the banana leaves (I’ve only cooked it in my Le Creuset DO) and the seasonings and banana leaves give a great profile that topped with a great salsa is outstanding!

but every time someone makes Spinaker a la Maquina recipe, it’s a winner!!

Sounds like a fun time! Excited to see what you come up with…..but regardless it’s gonna be great because TACOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[TripleB]

I do another pork dish from the Hawaiian Islands. Kahlua Pork. It is served over rice, with veggies and potato salad. I don't bury the pork, but smoke it. Instead of banana leaves, green tea is sprinkled over the meat. Smoked in a perforated aluminum foil baking dish. No BBQ sauce is used, but a light cilantro sauce. Very good.

[jjdbike]

Thanks so much everyone!

Purc, I like Malcom Reed’s recipe, but I don’t know how I feel about the tomato juice.

TripleB , I planned on leftovers.

Now that I think about it. I may
just do one to too make it easier on me.

shify, Conchinita looks excellent.

barelfly & SheilaAnn , Spinaker s À la Maquina recipe looks like a winner for sure!
Thats what I’m going to do.
I’ll report back.

Thanks again everyone!
Cheers,
JD

[Michael_in_TX]

You'll like it....I did a variation of it in fact just this past weekend.

[texastweeter]

You wont regret it.

[texastweeter]

And for the record, Amanda says I got a smoking butt...

[jfmorris]

You know those 2 packs are 4 butts, right? 2 boneless 8 pounders in each 16 pound pack. 4 butts is a LOT of leftovers for that many guys... But its great if you want to have pulled pork vacuum sealed in the freezer for months to come.

Having done carnitas a couple of times, the thing (in my mind) that makes it carnitas beyond the spices and the braise versus smoking method, is that you then fry it crispy in a skillet or on a griddle before you make tacos with it. I've done it the "real way" and just done it with leftover pulled pork made with MMD and smoked, and then fried it up in a skillet to crisp for the tacos, with some extra spices.

It would be hard to do the crisp/fry for 16 pounds of pork, so maybe you skip that, and just do a dry rub that uses carnitas style spices, then mix in more spices and maybe some sauce into the pulled pork when done?

[jjdbike]

You know those 2 packs are 4 butts, right? 2 boneless 8 pounders in each 16 pound pack. 4 butts is a LOT of leftovers for that many guys... But its great if you want to have pulled pork vacuum sealed in the freezer for months to come.

Having done carnitas a couple of times, the thing (in my mind) that makes it carnitas beyond the spices and the braise versus smoking method, is that you then fry it crispy in a skillet or on a griddle before you make tacos with it. I've done it the "real way" and just done it with leftover pulled pork made with MMD and smoked, and then fried it up in a skillet to crisp for the tacos, with some extra spices.

It would be hard to do the crisp/fry for 16 pounds of pork, so maybe you skip that, and just do a dry rub that uses carnitas style spices, then mix in more spices and maybe some sauce into the pulled pork when done?

Thanks jfmorris,
Yes I will probably do 1/2 as carnitas, and the other half traditional southern style bbq pulled pork.

Was planning on vacuum packing bags in some of the leftover jus / braising liquid. I’ll do the frying/ crisping step just before serving.

Cheers!
JD

[jfmorris]

Awesome! I've got that recipe of Spinaker 's saved off, and keep meaning to circle back to it, in my trusty CI dutch oven...

[jjdbike]

Check out Spinakers carnitas recipe. Always a crowd pleaser. I prefer the OJ based marinade version myself.

Hello again texastweeter and SheilaAnn ,

As always I OCD'ed and spent too much time on the interwebs googling smoked carnitas. Holy puerco con frijoles, the recipes are all over the place. I also liked the looks of Chuds BBQ, who tried to get close to authentic. After the smoke, he braised (actually confit) in lard. That was too much fat for me. I think I like Arnie Tex's version, though I'd add some more citrus.

Chudds BBQ Cinco De Mayo Carnitas

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43DZwS8Fa4E

Arnie Tex Smoked Carnitas

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J54EG2k6eOQ

Of course, as you all here have said, Spinaker s recipe looks really good too. I am uncomfortable with one thing in his recipe. I know, I'm being too finicky and because it's cooked more afterwards. I believe that SheilaAnn might be able to relate a tad. Using the liquid that the raw porkbutt was marinated in for the braise is a no for me, Liquid used to marinate raw meat gets discarded every time for me. I'd start w/ fresh braising liquid.

As always, really looking forward to this cook next week. I'll keep everyone posted.

Cheers.
JD

[barelfly]

If you take that marinade to a boil for 1 minute, it’s pasteurized. Meathead’s Huli Huli recipe does the same with that marinade, which is then brushed on to the chicken throughout the cook.

But..regardless! Glad you found a few ways to cook up some goodness!!!!