Title: Lower Valley Carnitas
Categories: Mexican Pork Peppers Main
Yield: 6 Servings

4		Cloves garlic
2	ts	Cumin seeds, toasted
2	ts	Dried oregano, preferably Mexican
1	ts	Salt
1/2	ts	Fresh-ground black pepper
2		Chiles de *rbol or cayennes
2 1/2	lb	Pork Boston butt, cut into bite sized cubes
1/4	c	Lard or vegetable shortening
1/4	c	Milk
		Salsa de *rbol or Jalape*o hot sauce or other salsa or hot s
		Corn or flour tortillas, warmed

In a mini-food processor or with a mortar and pestle, mash together the garlic, cumin, oregano, salt. pepper, and chilis. Spoon the mixture into a medium bowl. Add the pork cubes to the spices and toss to coat the cubes. Let the mixture sit at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes.

Warm the lard in a Dutch oven, or other deep, heavy pan over medium-high heat. Place the pork in the hot lard and sear the meat quickly. Reduce the heat to a bare simmer and cover the pan. Cook the pork for 1 hour, stirring the mixture at 20-minute intervals.

Uncover the pork and stir in the milk. Raise the heat to medium-high. Simmer the pork until most of the liquid had evaporated, scraping the mixture up from the bottom. After about 15 minutes, the pork will be browned and lightly crisped, but tender and moist inside. Drain the pork.

Serve with salsa or hot sauce and warm, soft tortillas as make-your-own tacos, or reserve for enchiladas, burritos, or burros.

NOTE: Hardly any dish is more beloved on the border, or further south in Mexico, than the crispy morsels of pork called carnitas. Contemporary families usually consume a lot less of the rich nuggets than was the case a generation ago, but the taste is still treasured. An infrequent ingredient in the preparation, milk promotes deep browning and a crunchy surface. We got the idea for its addition from a lower Rio Grande Valley recipe. 1 JAMISON, Cheryl Alters and Bill JAMISON The Border Cookbook The Harvard Common Press Boston, Massachusetts

MM Format by John Hartman Dallas, Texas 14 Jan 1997

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