My week of...pig (now with pics)

Please, don't mention this post to my Jewish grandmother...
While munching on a very tasty chicharron sandwich at Salamera, I perused this weeks Reader which featured an article by David Hammond on Michoacan. One of the restaurants mentioned was El Paisa.

Here's what VI had to say about El Paisa in a previous LTH post:

So, now that I have thoroughly buttered you up, let me offer my counter-point, Carnitas Paisa. I have nibbled both the carnitas and the cactus at Carnitas Uruapan, and well, maybe our long departed 3 initialed friend (a/k/a the Brilliant One) can rank these versions of long cooked pork confit, but I cannot. Yet, I prefer Carnitas Paisa.

Firstly, the Dona. She is the hostess with the mostess, the epitome of carnitas herself, in her flowing and un-embarrased mu-mu. (The vaguely Botero-esque portraits around Carnitas Paisa give further thought that this is a place that adores its flesh--Oprah should do one of her fat acceptance programs from this locale.) She takes extreme pride in her product, and you will taste that pride.

Second, in a realm of equal products (i.e., kettle cooked "real" carnitas), one must distinguish through other items. Caritas Paisa completes the meal with complimentary, convert anyone to chicharron, chicharron, a salsa from dried peppers that IS spicy, and as Maxwell Street taco warriors know, the ultimate weapon, fresh made tortillas. If Carnitas Paisa has one fault, it is its early closing, but the Dona has always ensured me that one should just eat earlier.

Anyhoo, I was sort of in the neigborhood today and I stopped by for a plate of tacos--one each of goat, carnitas and cochinita pibil, washed down with a strawberry licuado. The tacos are $2.50 each if ordered with homemade tortillas (worth the extra 70 cents IMO). They were all phenomenal. But, the cochinita pibil was heavenly--just the right amount of spice, nice amount of oil but not greasy. I thought about licking the plate but I'd like to be welcomed back to the restaurant so I just sopped up the sauce with the end of my tortilla. I should also note that they brought out an array of salsas, jalapenos, cilantro, onion, a basket of freshly made tortilla chips and chicharrones. And, as VI pointed out, the proprietress (yes, I know, I can't spell to save my life, and don't even get started with the grammar) is just lovely. She was very helpful in explaining the menu. Also, I ordered a small licuado but there was still some left in the blender so she refilled it for me.

So this is all just a warm-up for Saturday when I've ordered a whole roasted pig from La Unica so I can serve lechon to my most valued friends and family members (along with congri, yuca, maduros and tostones). I'd love to post some pics of "this little piggy" (esto puerchito pequeno) when I get him but I cannot figure out how to use flickr. If anyone has a chance to PM me and explain how to post pics, it would be greatly appreciated

Carnitas Paisa
3525 West Fullerton Avenue
Chicago, IL 60647
(773) 278-2062

P.S. Thanks to David Hammond and Vital Information and all who have posted about Salamera (Chef Bowles, etc) and La Unica. Have I mentioned recently how much I love this website?

La Unica whole roast pig? How does one go about becoming a valued friend? Is there an application process? As long as there's no credit check, I'm in

Puerquito? (I get Italian and Spanish mixed up too sometimes.)

I love it, Christmas dinner a month late. No better meal in the world. Let me know if you need any recipe help. If you want, I can finally get my in-laws' congri recipe. Mrs. Gomez, formerly of Mayari and Havana makes the best version I have ever had.

Don't forget to get extra mojo, and load up on bread (DAmato's long loaves), ham and Swiss for the leftovers.

La Unica whole roast pig? How does one go about becoming a valued friend? Is there an application process? As long as there's no credit check, I'm in

If there's leftovers (o.k., kind of doubtful knowing my family)--they're yours. I owe you for cribbin' the title of your post.

Don't forget to get extra mojo, and load up on bread (DAmato's long loaves), ham and Swiss for the leftovers

Great tip, especially if I renege on my promise and keep the leftovers for myself.

As far as recipes, I appreciate the offer, but it's going to be a busy weekend so I'm just going to buy congri, tostones and yuca from La Unica and make the maduros myself (I have a kick-a** recipe for jalapeno ginger cream to go with them--not authentic but quite good). I'll also be cranking out some mojitos.

So, the roast pig from La Unica was a smashing success (I thought).
Wilbur weighed in at 23 pounds and about 2.5 feet long. My friends picked him up and said they watched him being taken from the oven. The only hitch is that he had to be carved up before the party because A) potential squeamishness from guests and B) he wouldn't fit in the oven. This was a bit intimidating at first (I usually shy away from carving turkey) but turned out to be pretty simple as he was nicely butterflied and quite tender. I can't say it was a textbook carving job, but...
Here are a few shots from before the Texas Chainsaw Massacre:





The yuca and congri were also excellent. Upon request, they provided lots of extra mojo (groovy, baby--O.K. not pronounced the same).
Unfortunately, the tostones dried up in the warming tray of my oven and had the consistancy of cardboard. Several friends provided excellent homemade salsas.

Not much in the way of leftovers (sniff).

Thanks to all who PMed me to help get these pics posted.

thaiobsessed wrote:Wilbur weighed in at 23 pounds and about 2.5 feet long.

Thaiobsessed,

Damn good looking piggy, skin looks nice and crisp.

Enjoy,
Gary

HI,

Super looking pig. If it is not spilling the family secrets, how much did he cost delivered roasted? What were the warming instructions? How many did he feed?

Thanks!

Regards,

how much did he cost delivered roasted? What were the warming instructions? How many did he feed?

He was $5/pound. They didn't really give warming instructions. I think ideally, he should have been served right away but since I had never ordered from La Unica before, I felt better knowing that he was ready a few hours early. I basically decapitated him, cut off the trotters and then cut the pig roughly in half so it fit into 2 trays which I covered with foil and stuck into a 200 degree oven. The meat stayed nice and moist (I think the skin is protective against drying).
The pig, a big pan of rice/beans (congri) for 20 people, yuca and tostones for 10 people each were ordered for 20-25 people. More people showed up later to watch the Morales/Pacquiao boxing match and I sent home pork for friends who couldn't make it. We all ate a lot (except for one friend who was grossed-out by the head). So, I would say the above would EASILY feed 30 people. The grand total was about $190 (which, given the amount of food, seems like a great deal to me.)