Carnitas v. Carnitas

This post describes a recent experience comparing the carnitas from "Carnitas Uruapan" and those from "Carniceria Guanajuato."

Let me preface this by saying that I am less than a novice when it comes to carnitas: I don't even know how you make the stuff. This post is just to share a very rewarding, yet unexpected experience. Also, I have no commercial interest or association with either of the two carnita places discussed below. It feels a bit ridiculous to say that, but I have to say that I felt a bit intimidated about posting after reading through some recent pizza posts. Now that that is out of the way….on to the fun stuff.

The Background:
I'm a huge fan of this forum and have been lurking and benefiting from the posts here for quite some time. After reading numerous posts singing the praises of Carnitas Uruapan, berryberry (another avid LTH lurker and occasional poster), our spouses, and I, decided that we had to have them. This became much more complicated than we originally intended. On a couple of occasions we attempted to stop in and pick up the carnitas after wrapping things up at work. Uruapan's hours of operations (and our schedules) made this a bit difficult for us to get to them before they closed and we ended up with an unfulfilled desire for pork. The incredible recommendations on this forum only served to fuel our desire and frustration. Searching for their contact information online, I stumbled upon a Phil Vettel article in the Tribune titled "The Ideal Meal," which said that the carnitas from Uruapan would "make you find yourself in porkstasy." It would take several weeks before I got to know porkstasy. Little did I know that my patience was going to pay off with more porkstasy than I anticipated.

The Challenge:
My wife has the privilege of working with many Mexican Americans that know the near-west side of Chicago ("West-town") and all of its Mexican eateries very well. Indeed, she has often found herself in the back of several Mexican supermarkets during lunch hours, reporting back at the end of the day that she has had some phenomenal Mexican food. She decided to ask her go-to person for all things pertaining to Mexican eating and ask her about the carnitas at Uruapan. She was told that they were indeed fabulous, but she was also told that she just HAD TO try the ones at Carniceria Guanajuato, which is closer to where we live. Well, berryberry and I had no intention to pass up on Uruapan, so we decided to pick a Saturday where we would obtain carnitas from both establishments and bask in the joys of double porkstasy. [I wonder if there is a Chinese character for double porkstasy. If not, there should be].

The Preparation for Porkstasy:
My wife and I arrived at berryberry's home with 2 pounds of carnitas from Guanajuato and were greeted by berryberry, his spouse, their dog, and 2 pounds of carnitas from Uruapan. We were excited, and salivating. We compared notes on the environment at both Uruapan and Guanajuato and decided that the carnitas were served in similar ways. Both establishments had trays with large chunks of pork, which were pulled out, sliced up in thick pieces, and placed in a receptacle to take home. However, we only had salsa from Uruapan. We failed to ask for salsa at Guanajuato. At home, onions and cilantro were chopped, queso fresco was shredded, and a canister of Mexican crema was packed for all to apply to their tacos as needed. We purchased fairly thin corn tortillas from both establishments and both were of comparable quality.

Shades of Porkstasy:
The pork from both establishments looked different: the meat from Uruapan was slightly darker and looked more moist than that from Guanajuato. Uruapan looked like the shreds of pork would fall apart easier. The chunks from Guanajuato were whiter, more dense, and looked drier. Their color looked more like the thick slices of pork used in Cuban sandwiches in Miami. Aside from that, I didn't notice any other striking visual differences. The carnitas were tasted in many different ways: by themselves, in tacos without condiments, in tacos with condiments, with our eyes open, and with our eyes closed (blind to the location of origin of the pork we tasted). Both were DELICIOUS, and in my humble opinion, I don't think you could be disappointed by carnitas from either establishment. As expected, Uruapan was more moist and tender. That said, Guanajuato was not tough; rather, the meat felt more solid in the mouth and you could feel more resistance while chewing. Nevertheless, it was still tender. In terms of flavor, Guanajuato was the favorite for me. I don't know what they did to their meat, but there was more flavor (all delicious) in the Guanajuato meat. I wish I could describe it better, but (to me) there was just more of what makes pork good – a tiny hint of ham, bacon, and smokiness that was very subtle – that was not there with Uruapan. Interestingly enough (and to our surprise), the carnitas from Guanajuato were the unanimous favorite for the evening. Berryberry, our spouses, berryberry's neighbor who stopped by unexpectedly (and also loves to eat), all chose the carnitas from Guanajuato as their favorite. Also, no one disagreed that both carnitas were fabulous. On a humorous note, despite the protestations of his spouse, berryberry separately held out carnitas from both locations in his extended palms so that his dog could also join in the taste test. She went right to the carnitas from Guanajuato, gobbled them up, but then quickly proceeded to eat the carnitas in berryberry's other hand. Potential for marital discord was eased by an unusually fruity zinfandel with a muted alcohol presence that we drank alongside the carnitas – not a favorite, but it was nice enough.

The Conclusions:
Overall, we had a wonderful evening and achieved Porkstasy many times over. When forced to make a choice, we unanimously chose the carnitas from Guanajuato. I think the choice will come down to personal preferences in the way you like to eat your pork. Both sets of carnitas were magnificent and comparable amounts were eaten of both. After the taste comparisons, I stumbled upon the best way to eat them: I just started mixing both of them together in my tacos. Yum.

Carnitas Uruapan
312 226-2654
1725 W 18th St
Chicago, IL 60608

Carniceria Guanajuato
It seems that Carniceria Guanajuato has several locations, and I'm not sure they are all the same. The one that was recommended to us (and is discussed in this post) is on N. Ashland between Division and North. It is a supermarket with its own parking lot. The carnitas were toward the back of the store.


As an aside: I'll be looking forward to more porky goodness tomorrow at Honey-1.

Wonderful post, r2g. I hope the impulse to de-lurk grows ever stronger.

Cheers,

Aaron

r2g wrote:It seems that Carniceria Guanajuato has several locations, and I'm not sure they are all the same. The one that was recommended to us (and is discussed in this post) is on N. Ashland between Division and North. It is a supermarket with its own parking lot

r2g,

Wonderfully interesting post.

I often go to the California/Belmont Carniceria Guanajuato, I like the store in general and the in-house taqueria is one of my favorites, and though I'm sure I've purchased carnitas, they are not standing out in my memory. If the Ashland Guanajuato has carnitas to rival, or best, Carnitas Uruapan, which I very much enjoy, I will certainly give them a try.

As an aside, next time you are in the 1400 N block of Ashland I suggest a stop at Carniceria Leon for tacos al pastor or carne asada. The carnitas, which come highly recommended by JeffB, looks quite good as well.

Enjoy,
Gary


Carniceria Leon
1402 N Ashland Ave
Chicago, IL 60622
773-772-9804

r2g wrote:On a humorous note, despite the protestations of his spouse, berryberry separately held out carnitas from both locations in his extended palms so that his dog could also join in the taste test. She went right to the carnitas from Guanajuato, gobbled them up, but then quickly proceeded to eat the carnitas in berryberry's other hand.

The dog test is brilliant (to validate results, you might need to put identical dog biscuits in both hands, and see if the dog goes to the same hand -- maybe she simply favors left or right sides).

It is interesting the taste results were so clearly in favor of Guanajuato -- like GWiv, I'm sure I've had them but cannot remember whether they knocked me out or not.

When I get carnitas, I really prefer to pick my own (which can usually be done at Jimenez Bros. places, and probably even Ururapan, if you want to stand by the case and point to what you want). My preference is for darker pieces, which seem to have more porky goodness, though your test is starting me to rethink that.

I think you'll agree, Uruapan gets points for pig-cannibal graphics.

Hammond

I did a bad hit of porkstasy once. Some kid told me it was cut right from the loin, no adulterants, and I'd be rolling like I'd found some underground porchetta lab in the hills of Central Italy. It was probably cut with some gamy mutton or even meat by-products; swore me off of porkstasy for a long time.

Ahem...

No shilling, r2g?? You've got to be kidding, right??? Anyone with half a brain can see that r2g is a none-too-clever acronym, obviously standing for, "Related 2 (the owners and/or operators of) Guanajuato." Go take your thinly-veiled advertisements to some other board, pal, along with your "dogs" and "friends." Try to pull the carnitas over MY eyes, whyIoughtta.....


Rebito, el rey (o al menos el principe) de carnitas

HI,

It feels a bit ridiculous to say that, but I have to say that I felt a bit intimidated about posting after reading through some recent pizza posts. Now that that is out of the way….on to the fun stuff.

You really had nothing to fear. Your approach to this topic would not give anyone the flicker of doubt where your interests reside. Your period of lurking may be over, though you gained a lot of knowledge about the community and how things work by doing so. Thank you for your patience, persistence and this great post!

She decided to ask her go-to person for all things pertaining to Mexican eating and ask her about the carnitas at Uruapan. She was told that they were indeed fabulous, but she was also told that she just HAD TO try the ones at Carniceria Guanajuato, which is closer to where we live.

Your wife is fortunate to not only have such a resource, but to use it, too! A lot of great tips are generated by sincere interest.

Contemporaneous side-by-side comparisons are really quite revealing. It has helped divine the best chicken wings, pizzas, bagels and ducks. Just thinking out loud, there are a number of carnitas places in the Pilsen neighborhoor. If you use Trixie Pea and Pigmon well executed side by side comparison of various ducks in Chinatown aka Duck Open as a template. I think a similar side-by-side carnitas taste test could be conducted for Pilsen. I'm sure someone has the list of all the carnicitas, announce it on the Events Board for a Saturday morning, once everyone has congregated, then take off for 30 minutes to get the food and return. I'm not trying to hijack your idea, just expanding it!

Great post! Great insight!

Regards,

G Wiv wrote:next time you are in the 1400 N block of Ashland I suggest a stop at Carniceria Leon for tacos al pastor or carne asada.

Hi G Wiv: I will definitely give them a try. I pass by there all the time. By any chance, was Leon the place recommended by a diner in one of our stops on the 47th-athon? If so, I'm glad to hear her suggestion delivered.

David Hammond wrote:The dog test is brilliant (to validate results, you might need to put identical dog biscuits in both hands, and see if the dog goes to the same hand -- maybe she simply favors left or right sides).

There was not much scientific rigor in our doggie-test, but there certainly were lots of laughs!

David Hammond wrote: When I get carnitas, I really prefer to pick my own (which can usually be done at Jimenez Bros. places, and probably even Ururapan, if you want to stand by the case and point to what you want).

We were asked to pick the pieces we wanted at Guanajuato. I don't know if berryberry had the same option in Uruapan.

David Hammond wrote: My preference is for darker pieces, which seem to have more porky goodness, though your test is starting me to rethink that.

In that case, Uruapan might be the big champion for you.

David Hammond wrote: I think you'll agree, Uruapan gets points for pig-cannibal graphics.

Pig-cannibals -- now you have my interest!. Since we split up carnitas pick-up responsibilities, I only got to go to Guanajuato. I'll ask berryberry about the pig-cannibal graphics.

I'm sure GWiv will not mind my posting his pic of this artistic treasure at Carnitas Uruapan (which I have on my refrigerator):

That Guanajuato had some similarly twisted artwork, which may or may not still be there: a mural of two carniceros being cooked in a caso (the massive copper pots wherein butchered pigs are slowly cooked in lard -- that's how it's done) by gleeful pigs.

I do prefer Leon's carnitas to its neighbor's. In Pilsen, I like Sabas Vegas, but think Uruapan's are excellent also. SV also gives you a little packet of meat that does not go onto the scale for you to sample as you stand there. Nice touch. It's not really an all-day affair; you are best off arriving late morning when the meat comes out of the caso. If you can figure out the particular time for the Pilsen places, it's quite a spectacle because the cuts are gaudily arranged on a trolley and brought out of the kitchen with fanfare.

The grocery store places typically do not go whole hog and do not have the classic hand-hammered copper casos that the specialists have, but the carnitas can be very good nonetheless. Picking your own meat is always the case, I thought. Carnitas has every part of the pig, pretty much. The butchers have a tendency to assume that non-Mexicans only want white flesh, but tripe, liver, kidneys, snoots, etc. are available (but go fast). Among the different cuts, I look for ribs and loin, which I find makes for the best combo of dark and white.

JeffB wrote:Picking your own meat is always the case, I thought. Carnitas has every part of the pig, pretty much.

Our comparison was likely biased, as no parameters were set on the parts of the pigs that we chose from the tray. We chose them independently and they were all chopped up and mixed up when we ate them.

I'll try to make a pit-stop at Leon tomorrow to try the pastor and carnitas.

I insist I "discovered" Carneceria Leon . It was my default taco joint for a good 6 years---late-90's-early '00. Not to lay claim or anything. I was championing it wayback when(pre-LTHforum...and nascent Chowhound)...entreating taco afficianados to please move away from the La Pasaditas 3 and venture up the street a bit. And receiving blank stares...or assumptions that I meant Supermercado Guanajuato. Somehow their eyes would just glide right over that little ambrosia-scented corner store. Now it's the new taco palace. I knew I was right.

Don Cristofero,

To the extent someone here discovered the extremely old Mexican grocery store near the teeming intersection of Ashland and Division, all the credit is yours.

But seriously, I do recall discussing the place with you in the pre-LTH days. I simply have a soft spot for the store, and it has become one of my favorites. I believe that my name might have become associated with Leon during the extended al pastor correspondence, during which I exhorted the readers to try your (and my) favorite taco spot.

As long as we're on the topic, I will mention again that Leon has excellent chorizo, great house-packed lard, which is very fresh and seems to have been used in the making of carnitas based on the flavor, and terrific house-cured carne seca (not cesina, but paper-thin jerky with a pronounced, but to my palate, pleasant lime (cal, no limon) undertone). They also have very fresh cilantro, always. I like the steak tacos fine, but I do still prefer Pasadita East's carbonized product and lengua somewhat more.

I still wish more people visited. The exterior, interior, and taquero make the place somewhat intimidating. Viva Carniceria Leon.

If you nominate it, I surely will second...

Awesome idea Duh, I didn't even think of it! All kidding aside regarding territorial disputes...I'm really simply happy to be able to add an imo great, little-known taqueria; it does seem to suffer---relatively, anglo taco-afficianado speaking...they're certainly packed with Mexican clientele---inbetween the ones up the street and the market down the block.

kool

edit: after checking out the GNR forum I see that I just missed the nomination date. Definitely, next round. And if it gives more people the opportunity to check out Canerceria Leon, all the better.

Sounds like the observed difference between Guanajuato and Uruapan may have been a matter of chance selection and could reverse on a different outing.

I get most of my Carnitas from Danny's (formerly Jimenez) on Western. They do whole hog and you pick through it yourself. Like David Hammond, I prefer darker and moister bits. I find that within the same tray there is about and equal portion of both, although the darker bits can be harder to get at since they are more likely to found wedged in boney places. Also, I find that if you dig deep into the pile you get pieces moistened with the drippings of the top pieces, and that if no one else has gone through it recently the top pieces can dry out under the heat lamp. Finally and obviously, all of it will be much more moist when it just comes out than toward the end of the day.

My suspicion is that the what and when you are selecting has as much or more to do with the variance in your enjoyment, than the establishment itself.

On a different note, I have noticed that some restaurants like Arturo's serve Carnitas in their tacos and Burritos that are much crunchier and seem to be fried after being cut up into small bits, whereas the the big trays of Carnitas as groceries apper to be broken up only after being fried in rather large portions.
Have others noticed this?

Carnitas are not really "fried." As suggested earlier, the better part of a whole pig is slow-cooked in a large vat of lard (sort of a confit). Some home recipes "cheat" by slow cooking pork with a small amount of water. Taquerias typically griddle/reheat previously cooked carnitas per order or in batches, which accounts for the crispiness.

Those of you who were interested in/amused by the doggy style taste test described in this post might also like to check out our most recent doggy style tasting, described here