OH Made #1: Carnitas – Byron Bay, Australia

By Harry

Back in New Zealand the OH crew was invited to a pot luck dinner party with our hosts.  Being bold and missing Mexican food, I decided to make Carnitas.  Our Kiwi friends loved it.  So, I had to redo another Carnitas night in Byron Bay Australia.  I’d perfected this dish along the way, and each time it was a little different.  This time, I was aiming to make everyone sit in a food coma.

Bruce and I had a bad batch of tortillas the last time we cooked tacos from scratch.  So, this time we decided to buy pre-made tortillas.  I bought the pork and veggies from the Thursday Farmers Market in Byron Bay.  The butcher had a great sense of humor and he raised his meat properly – humane, pasture fed, and of course chemical free.  We bought beans from the natural food store and let them soak overnight.

The farm where we bought the carnitas

One of our lovely hosts

The secret to good carnitas is starting early.  Bruce and I had a full day in town filming skating, corkscrews, and surfing.  But, I remembered to run to Nico’s house (our host) and pop the pork in the oven.  150C converted to 302F.  Slow cooking should be done under 300F so I put the oven at 125 hoping it would be hot enough.  I quickly seared the edges in the casserole with onions, garlic, salt, chilies and cumin.  Then popped it in the oven and left the house for the day’s actives.

Five hours later Bruce and I were back at Nico’s prepping everything else.

*Pico de Gallo (tomatoes, onions, garlic, cilantro, chili, lime, and salt)

*Guacamole (avocados and a little pico de gallo).

*Black/Pinto Beans (boiled when I put the pork on)

*Chips (bought from the store)

*Tortillas (also bought from the store)

For the Pico

Chilies anyone?

At 7pm everyone seven people started to show up hungry and ready for a feast.  I felt the adrenaline rush of cooking for a group of people.  I love the kitchen.  The roast was ready but, it needed to be mixed with more onions, garlic and of course salt.  As I mixed the pork, Bruce warmed the tortillas.  Nico pulled the wine and we all set the table ready to eat.

I

The main event Carnitas. Cooked to perfection

Always serve w/ lettuce

Yum! Everyone screamed with satisfaction as they bit into their carnitas tacos.  Bruce and I grinned, happy to please everybody.  Another success with free range pork!  It was our last dinner in Byron.  We’d shared coffee, pizza, tacos, and a great friendship with these people.  I know we’ll  be back some day to cook more tacos for the people of Byron Bay.  Until the next meal to be shared…

Let us know if you love making Mexican and/or what your cooking secrets are. Leave us a comment!