A Carnitas Tutorial - All Together Now

After having pressed you to make carnitas I thought I'd put the porcine particulars all in one place. Previously I had information all spread out in different posts across a span of several days and going back and forth between posts is annoying at best. There are recipes all over the place, and perhaps someday some test kitchen somewhere will try them all out and declare one "right" way to get carnitas on the table, but until then? Here is how easy it can be.

SIDEBAR: PROTEIN ANGST SOLVED
When I read in the comments section of some posts about how difficult it is for many people to source protein that meets a certain standard of animals being humanely raised and then slaughtered for market in a way that limits suffering, I am reminded every time of how very fortunate I am to live in Austin, home of Wheatsville Coop.

Wheatsville has two butchers on staff who really know their stuff. I spent quite a bit of time speaking with Bryan there the other day and expressed to him my gratitude for taking time to source a variety of proteins. This means I can purchase meat to eat that comes out of a system of ranching and processing running completely counter to the CAFO monsters our country's current agricultural policies allow. Bryan takes the time to locate and procure that protein so I can simply show up at the Wheatsville meat counter and have good choices to make. I want to underscore how important that is to me and how grateful I am to have Wheatsville as "my" store. If I want to have responsible producers out there I have to be willing to support them with my food dollars. Wheatsville, through the efforts of Bryan and others, makes that a real option for my family.

Carnitas, Agrodolce Style

Printable recipe here

Step 1: Get yourself 3-5 pounds of Niman Ranch pork roast. [If you aren't lucky enough to have a store that will get that for you, try ordering online.] I have been using bone-in shoulder roasts. I am under the impression if these were sliced a certain way it would produce blade chops. Sliced another way, it is just right for a braise.Step 2: Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F. Cut the meat into strips about 3 inches by 1 inch. Don't get too fussy about this part - you want uniform size so the meat will all be done at the same time. Leave the fat in there, you can take any fat solids that do not cook into the liquid out of the dish later when you shred the meat.Step 3: Salt and pepper the pork. Put the pork into a dutch oven with 1 cup of water, 2 bay leaves, the juice of one lime, the juice and skin of one orange (seeds removed), and a peeled halved onion. Bring this to a simmer stovetop, then cover and place into your preheated oven.Step 4: After an hour in the oven, turn the meat and continue cooking for one hour longer.Step 5: After the second hour, the pork should be tender, falling off the bone. Remove the meat to a bowl and take the bay leaves, orange, and onion from the pot. Bring the remaining liquid to a brisk boil until reduced to about one cup. At this point adjust the seasonings and add salt/pepper and other elements as you like to customize the liquid.After making the dish once with nothing added to the liquid, which produces a pork intense flavor we really liked, I did add a little heat in the form of chipotle sauce the second go-round.

Step 6: All that is left now is to shred the meat a bit, toss it in the reduced braising liquid, and broil it to crispy browned perfection.After a couple of tries, I got the best results by placing cooling racks on a foil lined cookie sheet. I then placed the drenched shredded meat atop the racks for the best crisping, and positioned the oven rack on the second rung down from the top before broiling at the highest heat setting. Do start checking the meat at 5 minutes. You want it browned, not overly charred.

Remove and serve with tortillas, and any/every other wonderful thing you think would make the best ever soft carnitas tacos.My go-to combination includes crema, arugula sprouts, cherokee purple tomatoes and caramelized onions.Other folks like their crema separately as a dip, after rolling a combination of cotija cheese, onions and meat.Once you get yours rolled, it matters not. What went inside and in what order is your little secret.There you have it. Carnitas for the conscientious omnivore. ¡Desfruta de tus Niman puerco, y'all!

Puerco de Mayo Anyone? Snout What You Think (Porcine Saga Part 1)

Recently I watched a PBS Frontline special called Poisoned Waters which made many points about why our water is not safe to drink (or swim in or eat fish from).

One issue raised was how the practice of confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs) yields two problems. The first problem is a meat product that is questionably safe to eat (cruelty issues aside).

The second problem with CAFOs is the massive amount of toxic animal waste containing residues of whatever the animals were fed (or treated with) that is created. That byproduct, a staggering quantity of waste soup, mostly ends up in the watershed.

The conclusion reached is as clear as the contaminated water is cloudy. CAFO meat is bad. Bad for the animal, bad for the environment, bad for the people buying and eating the meat.

I was already anti-CAFO, I'll admit my bias. Earlier this year I read an opinion piece in the NYT about the overwhelming evidence linking the development of MRSA to CAFO pig farming practices. Their conclusion? CAFOs are a proven breeding ground for bacterial strains that pose a deadly threat to humans.

Today I read an article reporting there is a pig CAFO operating in the midst of the small town in Mexico where Patient Zero, a four year old boy, lives.

Although Smithfield and the other owners of the CAFO insist there is no connection between the proximity of the pig operation runoff and the viral outbreak, Mexican authorities are investigating, trying to pin down what exactly happened in La Gloria to ignite the flu.

I'll go ahead and hop to my own conclusion. Whatever the official report will read, in my mind there is little doubt that the presence of the CAFO and the virus moving from animals to humans is linked. CAFOs are dangerous for animals and humans alike.

What is a concerned carnivore to do? According to a 2008 report by the Union of Concerned Scientists, although they comprise only about 5 percent of all US animal operations, CAFOs now produce more than 50 percent of our food animals and approximately 9,900 US CAFOs are currently in operation producing hogs, dairy cows, beef cows, broiler chickens, or laying hens.

How do I avoid supporting CAFOs? Do I have to give up meat?

This will come as sad news to some, but no, consumers do not have to give up meat. There are other choices. It is finding a store that offers those choices that may prove problematic.

There are all sorts of suppliers responsibly raising animals so I can safely buy and eat meat. Some are small local farmers like the Pedersons, others are national outfits like Niman, but what they all have in common is a commitment to humanely treating, raising, feeding, and slaughtering food animals so those of us who are confirmed carnivores can buy our meat and eat it too.

Is this meat produced this way more expensive to buy? You betcha. Is it safer and more nutritious? Yup. Is my peace of mind and health worth it? Yes. Every single penny. So where can I find this safer source of protein? Major chains often don't carry non-CAFO alternatives. In order to get the meat you deserve, you may have to do some hunting around.

I am lucky. Here in Austin there is Wheatsville Coop. Offering me consistent sources of transparent and responsibly obtained proteins like that from Niman Ranch and Pederson Family Farms is just one of many reasons I choose to spend my food dollars at the Wheatsville Co-op. There are loads of other reasons, such as their commitment to supporting local organic growers like Katie and David Pitrie's Tecolote Farms.

I've come to depend upon W'ville's friendly and accommodating staff. Such as the star of this two part saga - Bryan the Meat Guy.

I don't know Bryan's title at Wheatsville. If I knew it I would probably forget that too. For me Bryan will always be "the Meat Guy".Today I told Bryan I needed a 3-4 pound pork butt and he disappeared into that mysterious realm known as "the back" and re-emerged with just the thing.

He cheerfully special cut me a four pound Niman pork roast and then cut it in half again just because I needed to make sure I could handle it and/or get it into my Dutch oven. This Niman beauty of a roast is certified humane, bad-thing free, delicious, nutritious, and as far as I am concerned, the closest thing to guilt free protein there will ever be until and unless I start to grow and slaughter my own animals.

Bryan the Meat Guy saved the day. Having that Niman pork meant I could proceed full pig ahead with my Holiday Swine Flu Viral Invasion Revenge Meal as previously planned."Holiday?" you may well wonder. "Did you mean Mother's Day?". No, gentle readers. No I did not.

I got so annoyingly sidetracked by my porcine CAFO diatribe I nearly forgot to tell you. Before arriving at Mother's Day, we here in Texas have another Very Important Holiday to observe. Cinco de Mayo is on the horizon.

I had big plans to make Carnitas for Cinco. Without Bryan the Meat Guy I'd have been clean out of luck (and pork roast). Thanks to Bryan you can all stay tuned and I'll be back tomorrow with recipes and further details...

Three Things

People who know me well laugh when they see email from me with something like "Three Things" in the subject line.

They laugh because they know I wrote that to help me remember to get to everything I wanted to share in the email.  I am famously easy to self-sidetrack.

They laugh because they know I probably started out with "One Thing" in the subject line and then had to revise it a couple of times as I remembered more things I wanted needed to tell them.

This enumeration technique works fairly well for emails so I figured to try it here and we'll see if I can stay on track for what I want to do with this post.  

Three things in particular caught my eye today.  One is a some very good news I wanted to share, one is a bit of wisdom that helped me a great deal, and the last is an idea I want to recommend to you whole heartedly.

First the good news.  The Pundits of Pudge have revised how much weight the typical adult gains during the holidays.

Estimates currently are that we typically gain only about one pound (down from seven!) from our tendency to overeat during the holiday season.  Before you head to the refrigerator with a spoon to grab the CoolWhip container and celebrate, please don't forget that is one pound over and above the pound we all supposedly gain just by staying alive year to year. 

Unless you work to maintain rather than gain over the holidays, you can count on two extra pounds added on to your baseline weight for every year you survive.  

You do the math.  If you are planning on escaping an untimely (defined:before I turn 85 and subject to revision when I turn 83) death, that is two pounds for every year between whatever age you are now and when you turn 85.  

For me that is a projected additional 60 pounds.  While I may not be totally grossed out by the way I look now,  I cannot for the life of me imagine how I will manage to drag around gracefully carry another 60 pounds.  Not unless I grow another 5 or 6 inches.  And what are the odds of that?

OK.  Still.  One pound down from seven.  Very good news! Note to self - work on maintaining without gaining.  Check! Next up - a bit of real weight wisdom to share with you.  

The first time I heard this idea it made no sense to me at all.  The 4th, 5th and 392nd times I heard it mentioned, I began to pay attention to the cues my own body sends me and the light finally clicked ON.

Nutritionists maintain our bodies, like toddlers, often do not distinguish well between "hungry" and "thirsty". I suppose that is where the conventional advice of drinking a full glass of water before a meal comes from.  It is not so much that the water fills you up (not something I have noticed happening, honestly) as it is that your body may send you a signal that you are dehydrated and you may misinterpret by heading to the pantry for oh, say, I don't know, some potato chips(hypothetically).   

Throw that kind of a miscue in with a glass of wine at a holiday party, and it is easy to see how over indulging results.  The wine stimulates your appetite,  you get dehydrated to boot, and blammo, before you know what's happening there are two kinds of adorable cookies on your platewhere that pile of dry carrot sticks you headed to the buffet to get in the first place were supposed to be.  

Know yourself.If there is any chance at all that your body might be telling you "I'm thirsty!" rather than "I know you just ate a full meal but I am still hungry!", try a glass of water before you eat anything else after a full meal.  If after you are hydrated you still feel hungry, deal with it then, no harm done.

OK.  Good news, wisdom, check and double check.  Now for that idea I want to enthusiastically endorse.  

Puttering around the interweb today I saw a bit on the Gaiam Blog that caught my eye. Entitled "Be the First On Your Block To Get A Farmer!" by Leslie Garrett, the bottom line is that the very best thing you can do to help yourself and your family to eat healthier is to know who is growing your food and how they are going about it.    

This idea is not entirely new - Pollan advocates this in his own way as does Barbara Kingsolver and multiple others as part of the growing Eat Local/Eat Responsible movement.  But "Get Your Own Farmer" is such a succinct way to sum up what it is that we all need to try to do that I couldn't resist.  

Garrett orders most of her food from a local farmer.  "Her" farmer.  There are various ways to duplicate that effort. Subscribing to CSA basketoutfits like our own area's Tecolote Farm, using online organic delivery services like Greenling, shopping the farmer's market before hitting the chain grocer's are all great ways to get your own farmer.  

I would add trying to Be Your Own Farmer - growing as much of your own food in a garden as you can, will be doubly satisfying.  Healthy, too.Try as I might, I have never managed to grow anything fattening in my garden.  It just doesn't work that way.   

Here in Austin we are incredibly fortunate to have a fantastic food co-op, Wheatsville, where you can have a whole dedicated crew of produce, meat and floor stock buyers out there working tirelessly to source the best local, organic, sustainable and responsible products to fill your shopping basket week to week.  Is there a food coop in your community?  Check it out.  

If we are what we eat, then don't you want to be organic, local, and sustainable?  Well of course you do.  Think about ways to put "Get My Own Farmer" high on your Christmas Wish List this year.

Postscript:  There was going to be a fourth thing.  I was going to indulge in a mini-rant around the idea of buying an outfit that is too small to be currently worn and have that hanging in the closet as supposed incentive to eat less and lose weight.  

In the current economic climate that really feels counterproductive.  However, after some thought I decided if I want to point fingers at anybody else's closet I best weed out the clothes I never wear and already have hanging in my own closet first.  

So I will channel the energy otherwise spent on scoldy-typing and redirect that to cleaning out my closet.  Afterwards I may yet return to that rant, filled with self righteous snarkiness, but more likely I will be exhausted and opt for taking a nap.  You can thank me later.  Onward!!

What Do I Like About Wheatsville?

The list is long and growing longer by the day.

For starters, I like that I took my garden variety grocery list in there a few days ago and found at least one version of everything I needed.

I found a good parking spot despite their construction. I found friendly employees there ready with helpful information including eggplant excess survival techniques.

As I rolled up and down aisles accompanied by the chattering of two children with their Mom auf Deutsch, I felt I had the best of both worlds, shopping local products in the company of, I don't know, not international hipsters maybe, but certainly in the company of whoever the opposite of provincial plebians might be.Recently I got my first paper edition of the Breeze in the snail mail. As I wandered through the pages I spotted a point/counterpoint duo of Wheatie Staffers debating the relative merits of carrying Coca-Cola products at the Co-op. The central question seemed to be wondering if the Coca-Cola company's mission and philosophy was consistent with that of Wheatsville.

I like that the question is up for discussion in the first place. I also like that two employees are given equal space to make their case for/against carrying the products as a jumping off point.

I like that I was reading this article on Gaiam.com about plastics safe to reuse as food containers and that when I went to check the number on the plastic container my Wheatsville olives were swimming in? It was made out of polypropylene (PP, or plastic number 5) which is one of the three plastics designated as safe to use and re-use by The Green Guide, owned by National Geographic. Do I trust NatGeo? Yeah, I think maybe I do....

I like that many, but not every employee who works at Wheatsville sport beards. Granted, if I find myself hormonally cranked in some way that has me sprouting unwanted facial hair? Applying for work at W'ville may be one way to find solace in the midst of that (for me) hirsute horror. Maybe I just like the idea of buying my food from folks who look kinda like rugged mountain men, I don't know.
I do know that until I see produce manager Johnny and meat guy Bryan in the same room at the same time, I will harbor a suspicion they might be the same person. And even if they are two separate guys, surely twins separated at birth?(Can you pick out both Johnny and Bryan in this photo supposedly of "all" the Wheat Staff? Uh huh - me neither...)

I like that Wheatsville is in the middle of a big renovation project which includes moving products around some. This means my disadvantage as a newbie is eliminated. Nobody will be able to easily find everything in W'ville for a bit. That puts me on even ground with the old guard. I have to say, I enjoy the chance to ask where an item might be living without my question screaming "SHE'S NEW!".So sure, I am developing a pretty good crush on the whole Wheatsville shopping experience. Not that I hate my old food partners, I am sure we will still be friends, you know? It is just that I plan on seeing my hot new food love partner regularly and I don't want to string my old food guys along. Just not the way I roll.

Back to the Coke Controversy for a moment. As a newcomer I am a little hesitant to jump into the fray. I do have a bit of an opinion however (you can act shocked later).

So what is the Wheatsville Mission? Glad you asked. Our Mission- The purpose of Wheatsville Food Co-op is to create a self-reliant, self-empowering community of people that will grow and promote a transformation of society toward cooperation, justice and non-exploitation. The mission of Wheatsville Co-op is to serve a broad range of people by providing them goods and services, using efficient methods that avoid manipulation of the consumers and minimize exploitation of the producers or damage to the environment. The primary focus for this mission is supplying high-quality food and non-doctrinaire informaiton about food to people in Austin, Texas.

And for Coca Cola? Everything we do is inspired by our enduring Mission:
To Refresh the World...in body, mind, and spirit.
To Inspire Moments of Optimism...through our brands and our actions.
To Create Value and Make a Difference...everywhere we engage.
To achieve sustainable growth, we have established a Vision with clear goals:
People: Being a great place to work where people are inspired to be the best they can be.
Planet: Being a responsible global citizen that makes a difference.
Portfolio: Bringing to the world a portfolio of beverage brands that anticipate and satisfy peoples' desires and needs.
Partners: Nurturing a winning network of partners and building mutual loyalty.
Profit: Maximizing return to shareowners while being mindful of our overall responsibilities.
We are guided by shared Values that we will live by as a company and as individuals:
Leadership: “The courage to shape a better future”
Passion: “Committed in heart and mind”
Integrity: “Be real”
Accountability: “If it is to be, it's up to me”
Collaboration: “Leverage collective genius”
Innovation: “Seek, imagine, create, delight”
Quality: “What we do, we do well”

Hmmm.  Pretty high minded all around. Mission talk aside though, it is difficult to characterize the Coca-Cola Bottling Company, or any company that large really, as entirely good or bad. Coke seems to be a blend of both, historically. To be honest I do say that as a gal who has grown up with a Coca-Cola product in my hand on a near daily basis. Am I biased? Fair enough to say I am.

With my bias in mind, while trying to keep up with reading about the recent political hooraw (subcategory NOT about pregnant teenagers) I did just run across this article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution about how Coke set itself the goal of 85% recycling for containers at both political conventions, a number that matched what the DNC set for itself and was established for the GOP despite their lack of a recycling program altogether. Coke determined it would accept all containers (the Dems met in a facility that sells Pepsi products) in an effort to educate and reinforce positive patterns for the delegates attending.

Does this mean Coke is a "green" company? Well, probably not entirely, no. But it is a step in a good direction.

More importantly, does that mean Coke should be sold at Wheatsville?

On the one hand, Coke is a popular seller at the Wheat. On the other hand, the room on the shelves there is in a big squeeze at least temporarily as they accommodate the demands of moving departments around.

Would I want cans of Coke, or in my case, cans of Coke Zero, to take the place of other products I might not ordinarily find on the shelves at my old food providers? Hmmm. Probably not.

I for one would step out on Wheatsville to buy Coke products from somebody else if I needed to. If the majority of Wheatests voted that Coke has no place on the store shelves, that would not be any kind of a deal breaker for me.

I already make special trips to buy certain wines or beers I can't find in the grocery store aisles. I hit the Farmer's Market on Saturdays occasionally and buy the same products I get at Wheatsville or in my CSA baskets just so I can actually meet and talk face to face with a lot of the folks growing what I eat. I can't see how making a side trip to buy Coke products would be much different than that, bottom line.

So either way the bottle tilts, I'll be just fine shopping at Wheatsville.

And I like that, too.

Chickpea and Chorizo Casserole

The amazing Mel Camero, better known as the blogger "bitchincamero" has been at it again, posting recipes that beg to be duplicated, August heat or no. I am already a fan, partly due to my belief that hers has quite possibly the coolest food blog name ever.

Seeing as I already had chickpeas and bread in the pantry and most of a link of chorizo in the refrigerator I was a slam dunk to try out her Chickpea and Chorizo Casserole for myself. Especially since I had never attempted the sausage simmered in cider as she suggests as a must try preparation.

But man (or woman) does not live by casserole alone. Besides borrowing from bitchincamero's blog offerings, I also had plans to dip in to the Sue Bette stream on feelgood eats, taking as a starting spot her recent post about a fig, watercress and bleu cheese salad.

Ever since the other day when John McCain tried to bash Barack Obama by calling him an "arugula eater", I have been jonesing for arugula and wanting nothing more than to defiantly make a blue-gal-in-a-red-state rocket eating statement all my own.

Past that, it seemed I'd been reading about figs everywhere. Have you noticed that? When you are really craving an ingredient you begin to run into it all over the place, smiling, hanging out with other people, taunting you... I began thinking about the amazing combination of peppery lettuce, basalmic drizzled figs and tangy crumbled cheese, and, well, I just had to have me some. Stat!So with a bit of fear and trepidation I set out to answer the burning question. In this, the home of burly flagship Randall's, well muscled Central Markets and the Arnold Schwarzenegger of Whole Foods stores, would the 98 pound weakling Wheatsville Food Co-op even have what I wanted, no strike that, what I needed for dinner tonight?Turns out I trembled for naught. You can read more about me getting all mushy over my hot new food-love partner in another post. Suffice it to say here that I hit Wheatsville yesterday and found everything I needed to put the dinner I'd been dreaming about on the table. And here's how it went. I took Mel's original recipe and mostly just halved it, leaving me with this:

Chickpea and Chorizo Casserole (Serves 4)
8 ounces Spanish chorizo
2 cups sparkling cider
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
5 slices of crusty bread, cut into large chunks
2 eggs
3/4 cup 2 percent milk
1/2 cup chicken stock
pinch salt
4 ounces smoked gruyere, shredded

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a casserole dish.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the chorizos and cider. Simmer for 20-30 minutes or until the chorizo plumps up and absorbs the liquid. Remove from the pan and set aside.Add olive oil to the skillet and sauté the onions. When translucent add the chickpeas and cook for 5 minutes. Chop the chorizo into small chunks (and whatever you do for the love of mercy don't taste it at this point or unless you are a stronger person than I am you will be tempted to send your husband to the drive through while you hide in the closet and eat every morsel) and add them to the pan along with the bread. Let it sit for a couple of minutes, stir well, and then transfer to the casserole.

Whisk the eggs and milk and broth and salt and pour over the casserole, making sure to coat evenly. Top with cheese and bake for 30-40 minutes, until the middle is set and the cheese is browned and bubbly.

Serve with a green salad.The salad of my choice? Arugula and baby spinach mixed with pine nuts and crumbled Cotija cheese in a basalmic vinaigrette, topped with quartered fresh figs. I'd originally meant to use toasted pecans in the salad but discovered we are temporarily out, so the pine nuts had to pinch hit. They managed just fine, with a similar nice crunch and hint of their own sweetness to lend to the mix.

So how did it turn out? Mostly amazing. See for yourself, my casserole got a bit overbrowned, even though I checked it at 30 minutes.Next go round I believe I will put some foil over the casserole to begin with and take that off for the last 15 minutes to allow the top to brown (or run it up under the broiler). If that doesn't work, I might knock a few degrees off the oven setting. I didn't actually add the broth in last night, it was only going to add 1/2 cup liquid and the eggs I used were pretty large and I thought I could get away without opening a container just to use that teensy bit. Plus I got totally distracted by all the hooraw on PBS about the convention.When it came right down to it last night history was playing quite the trump card.

Distracted as an excuse or not, turns out the casserole came out of the oven not only a bit brown but perched right on the tippy edge of "too dry". When I reheat the two reserved leftover portions for another dinner in a few days I will introduce some broth into the process to correct for my oversight. I (barely) got away without using the broth this time but know to be sure to throw that in next time I fix this.

And, there will most definitely be a next time. The casserole is a wonderfully nutty meaty cheesy combination of flavors that tempted even our heat jaded appetites last night. We thoroughly enjoyed it.And the salad? My sweet hubbub remarked that he would be a happy camper with figs in his salad, anytime. Sure, I know, salads aren't technically "cooking", but I do have fun combining salad elements in ways that give us a little somethin' somethin' past dressed lettuce, you know?

I think a well composed salad works like a good choir. Every voice needs to have a certain strength on its own, but together they have to be able to blend in a way that takes the whole experience to a new level. La la laaaa.

As usual, many many thanks, Mel and Susan! You ladies hit the inspirational mark yet again. Thanks to all of the food hotties at Wheatsville as well. I can tell we are going to have a long and happy (if not slender) time together, celebrating good local healthy food (in our "easy fit" elastic waisted clothes)...