Ingredients:
2-1/2 lb. fresh pork loin
12 garlic cloves peeled and crushed
1 large onion chopped
1/2 cup sour orange juice (or 1/4 cup unsweetened orange juice & 1/4 cup lime juice)
2 cups water
1 cup pure Spanish olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 fresh onion sliced into rings
lime wedges
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon cumin
Directions:
Cut pork into 2 inch chunks. To prepare marinade: mix together garlic, chopped onion, orange juice, 1/2 cup olive oil, oregano, cumin and salt. Pour over pork chunks and marinate for at least 3 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
Remove meat from marinade. Place in pot with two cups of water and 1/2 cup olive oil. (I did not remove the meat from the marinade; I placed all of it in the pot) Simmer, uncovered until all water boils away -- about 30 to 45 minutes. (The pork became very tender during this process.) Brown the pork in the oil until crispy on the outside. Add onion slices and saute briefly. Garnish with lime wedges. (I skipped these last two directions since I placed the pork in the pot with the chopped onions from the marinade and it already had lime juice).
Tip from Maria: If in the end your masitas are pale in color, you can quick-fry them in a non-stick skillet with some olive oil on high (for a couple of minutes).
Love pork and this does sound tasty!
ReplyDeleteAlthough I'm Cuban, I've never been able to do a really good masitas de puerco. And now I see that one of the tricks is to add the pork along with the juices (or water) to the oil. Thanks for sharing that. I've just recently discovered your blog and love it!
ReplyDeletemanteca is the key
DeleteWelcome to the blog Maria. I had never made masitas de puerco seeing as I used to live in Miami and I could just order it at a restaurant. Although I thought they could have been crispier, mine were very tender and flavorful. Maybe next time I will use a fattier portion of pork. I must tell you though that frying them made quite a mess of my pot. (I think it was the onions that got stuck). Anyway I had to soak it for two days and then scrub it. I suggest a non-stick pan... or at least remove the onions.
ReplyDeleteI'll be using a non-stick pot, then. Thanks for the suggestion. I'm making them for dinner this evening as a matter of fact...you inspired me!!!
ReplyDeleteGood luck Maria, let me know how it turns out.
ReplyDeleteHi I.M.,
ReplyDeleteYou did say to let you know how the masitas turned out...they were great! I have to tell you though that I followed YOUR instructions but in the end, the masitas were very good but pale in color. So, I quick-fried them in a non-skid skillet with some olive oil on high (for a couple of minutes) and they were perfect! That recipe is going into my permanent favorites file. Thanks again!
Glad to hear it Maria and thank you for the tip. I'm sure the extra quick-fry made them golden and cripsy, just what mine were lacking. I will add that step to the recipe. You've been very helpful I always appreciate the feedback.
ReplyDeleteThis was the best recipe ever! I live in Idaho and I thought I would never taste Masitas again - until I decided to make it myself! Thanks so much! I will be having this and my black beans and rice more often!
ReplyDeleteI was raised around a lot of fried pork meats (ribs, pork chops, chicharrones, masitas, etc having a Mexican mother) the secret to these is boil the meats well salted with enough water to barely cover them and about 1 cup of lard or oil, you boil meat covered on medium high heat for 15 minutes, then uncover crank to high or medium high and let boil stirring occasionally until all water evaporates. Then stir occasionally on medium high heat for about another 10 minutes until meat is golden and fried.
ReplyDeleteUse pork leg meat as well something with good marbeling.
For the Cuban version I guess it would be teh same except marinade it with mojo like u did, and proceed.
In Mexican Cuisine often times, all pork meats are prepared this way prior to simmering in sauces and stuff, like the meat will be made tender this way then the aromatics are added (onion, garlic whatever) and it's stewed, the frying gives it a real good taste. :)
Check out my post for "Carnitas Michoacanas"
http://nathanscomida.blogspot.com/2008/12/carnitas-michoacanas-fried-meat.html
Lynette, I'm happy to hear I was of help to you. Good luck with the Cuban food and Happy Thanksgiving.
ReplyDeleteI tried this last night and it turned out awful. I simmered the pork for over an hour and the water was only half way gone. In the end, the meat was tough, dry and pretty bland. There have to be better recipes out there.
ReplyDeleteThanks Ivonne. Finally found a good masitas recipe. Great comfort food with black beans, rice & fried plantains. This West TX Cuban is very glad she found you. Don't want to sign as Anonymous, but Yahoo is not one of your choices...SORRY!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by West Tx Cuban Anonymous. Glad to be of service.
ReplyDeleteWell laid-out recipe. Thanks. I've been trying to make a vegan version of this but had to pause since I'm not quite sure how the citrus juice will work with tofu. I'm assuming that the dish has a prominent citrus-y flavor; that it won't be pork masitas if it does not taste citrus-y. Yes?
ReplyDeleteHello Carlo, I have made tofu with the citrus "mojo" before. You can let it marinate and then remove it from the mojo and fry it. As far as the pork masitas I've only had them with the citrus flavor, but I always say, no recipe is set in stone.
ReplyDeleteYummy!!!! I have three non-adventurous eaters in my house and everyone of their plates was clean when dinner was finished. Instead of water, I used white wine and more orange juice. The pork was tender and sauteeing it at the end to give the pork that crisp brown color was a great trick. Pierogis and cinnamon apple sauce are great sides for this. Thanks for an awesome recipe!
ReplyDeleteJon, I am glad it worked out well for you. I always encourage my readers to give the recipes their own twist. Thanks for the input. I'm glad I could be of service.
ReplyDeleteHave you ever thought to marinate in mojo overnight instead?
ReplyDeleteCookinmom, yes, overnight would be ideal, and I believe it is mentioned above under "directions." Thanks for stopping by.
ReplyDelete