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When asked what I wanted for Christmas and replying, “a Dutch Oven,” I either heard, “Why in God’s name would you want that? Doesn’t Kevin give you enough of those?” or my favorite response, “Everyday must be Christmas then!” Realizing all my friends were eighth grade boys, I had to explain a Dutch Oven isn’t just a practical joke where you fart and then suffocate a person in its fumes, it’s actually a large cast iron pot that cooks and slow cooks from stove top to oven. Since he knew what was good for him,"Santa" left a tasteful red Dutch Oven under the tree for me on Christmas. Excited to use it, I decided (after Kara requested a recipe for them on this blog) that I'd try to make Carnitas with the Dutch Oven.
Ingredients
Pork shoulder
Orange juice
Onion
Garlic
Cumin
Bay leave
Pepper
Salt
Vegetable Oil
First sear the pork shoulder in vegetable oil on all sides. After it has browned, remove the pork shoulder and add onions and garlic to the remaining oil till soft and transparent. Then add orange juice with all seasonings and scrape away at the meat bits that have stuck to pot, simmer and reduce liquid to half. Once this is done bring pork shoulder back to pot add water to just barely cover meat, season add bay leaves, then close lid and bring to simmer. Once it begins to simmer put the Dutch Oven directly into oven at 350 degrees and cook in oven for 3 hours. When done, the chunks of meat should fall apart and you can separate and discard the pieces of fat. If you like crispier carnitas, i pull apart the meat and put it in a casserole dish and broil on high for 7 minutes. For a Crock Pot you’d repeat the same steps but after searing meat and reducing juice you’d add to a crock pot and cook on high for 6 hours.
The meal was a success, as well as my first time working with a Dutch Oven. Yet everything has a price to pay and after our delicious Mexican feast it wasn’t long before I received another kind of Dutch Oven.
5 comments:
Know of any vegetarian dishes that could be done in a Dutch Oven?
Where the hell was my invite? #rude
(As an aside...damn those look good.)
Vegetarian chili, or slow cooking your own beans is awesome in a Dutch Oven. There are also great potato dishes, like au gratins, or sautes.
twin
Twin -
I'd love to see a blog for the girls who can't boil water. Since Kara got her request, can I ask for your favorite "go to" recipe that is simple and uses most of the ingredients already found in a kitchen pantry?
Oh, my bad! I thought T got a dutch oven and made carnitas without inviting me, hence the "rude" comment. Sorry Twin!
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