Sous Vide Carnitas and Eat Tacos All Summer Long
Hello babes and welcome back toWill It Sous Vide? , the column where I usually do whatever you want with my immersion circulator. This week we turn our collective consciousness towards one of my favorite tacos: succulent, tender, crunchy carnitas.
Similar to the beef tongue we have successfully cooked, the Large Pork Shoulder is a natural addition to our carefully controlled humid cooking environment. Traditionally, carnitas are dipped in lard during cooking, but this is not necessary here, since sealing the meat in a vacuum bag allows it to cook neatly in its own melted fat.
Excited about many delicious tacos, I bought a seven-pound pork shoulder from Safeway. I hadn’t originally intended to buy such a large piece, but the dude working at the meat counter did not have a “meat cutting certificate” and therefore could not split the shoulder blade into smaller pieces. It ended well, however, because – for example – a whole seven-pound shoulder of pork costs less than $ 20. Plus, the carnitas freeze pretty well, so I’ll (happily) eat tacos for weeks, maybe months.
This pork surplus also meant I could split the meat in two, cook it at different temperatures, taste both of the pork results, and pass on this hard-earned thermal knowledge to you.
I removed the bone – a bone I for some reason did not expect – and split the shoulder into even piles of meat. I cut each serving into a couple of 2-inch slices and seasoned them:
- 2 teaspoons table salt
- 1 teaspoon of cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
These pieces of meat were then placed in a vacuum bag with:
- 1/2 onion (cut each half into quarters, separate layers)
- 5 cloves of garlic
I didn’t add the orange because one of the commenters asked that our carnitas be specially prepared without the “nasty orange”. You can add a little if you like, but you don’t need to. I’m a big fan when meat speaks for itself and fruit can overshadow the conversation.
Then I cooked one bag at 170 ℉ for 12 hours and the other at 185 for seven hours. It was originally supposed to be eight o’clock, but while he was preparing all night, I dreamed that the alarm went off an hour earlier than it actually did, so I got up and turned off the circulation pump at 7 in the morning, not at 8. That’s it. It worked. everything is fine.
I let both portions cool slightly and chill them in the refrigerator while I went about my usual morning routine. Then I took them out of my bag, sliced each one up, and made a damn taco.
Both crushed easily with little female handling, but there was a noticeable difference in texture. The 170 degree pitch was gentle, but the muscle fibers kept their shape and tasted better. The package, at 185 degrees, was so soft that it could almost be spread over like ryllet. I didn’t cut any fat from any portion, but instead of being tough or chewy, it just melted into the meat, covering it and cooking it for a nice crispy crust.
After that, I simply sautéed the pork, no oil or fat, in a non-stick skillet until golden brown around the edges, then scooped it out on corn tortillas with a little salsa and a spoonful of sour cream. That was very good and now I have many servings of great carnitas in my fridge (and freezer) waiting to be fried and eaten on a whim. Considering how quickly and suddenly cravings for tacos can be, this is a wonderful thing, and I suggest you fill your kitchen in a similar way.