663763 Sat Oct 31 14:46:37 -0700 2009 30 2 Los Angeles Area 0 5145593 (Formatted with All Pictures here: http://exilekiss.blogspot.com/2009/10/celebration-of-succulent-pork-8-types.html From as far back as I can remember, I've always had a fascination with Pork Carnitas. But thinking back on it now, I have no idea why, considering the vast majority of the places I've ordered Carnitas from in L.A. have been decent-to-mediocre at best, being too dry, overfried, too salty or tasting like it's reheated Pork from a week ago. Perhaps it's the craving for a bit of pure Pork simplicity - slowly braised chunks of Pork in a warm Corn Tortilla - that's pushed me to order Carnitas at each new place I've come across. But over the years, I reached a point where I had nearly given up on finding fresh, succulent Pork Carnitas, until I saw a discussion from Eat_Nopal and Dommy! on the various styles of this dish (the differences between the juicier, stew-like Carnitas and the fried, crisped versions). From there, the conversation continued with mi amigo streetgourmetla joining in, and I learned that specialists in Mexico featured *multiple types* of Carnitas, not just 1 generic "Carnitas" dish. I was stunned and excited, but also saddened, since I realized I had never heard of a specialist in L.A. that featured more than 1 type. And when even a hardcore Mexican Cuisine Hound like Eat_Nopal didn't know of an L.A. specialist, I began preparations for a trip to Mexico instead. Then a few weeks later, I ran across a great review from Jonathan Gold about a restaurant that served up multiple types of Carnitas... here in L.A.! That restaurant turned out to be Metro Balderas, and after experiencing the mouth-watering porcine preparations over the past four visits, it's become my go-to spot for delicious Pork Carnitas, served up 8(!) different ways. Metro Balderas is a family operation, with four locations across L.A., each one run by a different member of the family. The original branch is in Northridge, run by Chef Abraham Guzman, with the Highland Park location run by his sister, Jasmine Guzman. As we arrive at the Highland Park branch of Metro Balderas, we see the humble, hand-written sign greeting us with something I had never seen before in L.A.: 8 different types of Pork Carnitas. :) The 8 different types of Pork Carnitas are available only on Saturdays and Sundays, and is cooked in a D.F. (Distrito Federal (Mexico City))-style based on a recipe learned from their mother. The Carnitas are fried in Lard first, then slow-cooked and braised in its own juices, a process taking at least 4 hours, and after having tried all 8 types, the time and love put into these creations shine through and through. :) We sit down in the festively colored, simply-decorated eatery, and after a bit, the first half of the tacos arrive. It should be noted that the Tacos served here are *huge*, containing at least 200% - 250% the amount of meat in a normal taco truck Taco. I start with their Buche Carnitas Taco (Braised Pork Stomach Taco). "Buche" can also refer to Esophagus Tacos, but at Metro Balderas they use the Pig's Stomach. The Buche has a good, light chewiness, a bit of elasticity that gives way to a soft, braised quality. Lightly salty and clean-tasting (made that day), it's the best Buche Taco I've had in L.A. Their Cuerito Carnitas Taco (Braised Pork Skin Taco) is the saltiest of the offerings (but not overwhelmingly so), with the Skin absorbing the most braising liquids throughout the cooking. It's wonderfully pungent, porky and unctuous with this viscosity that coats your lips and mouth as it melts. Delicious! :) If the Cuerito (Braised Pork Skin) isn't juicy and lush enough for you, then the give the Trompa Carnitas Taco (Braised Pig Snout Taco) a try. The Trompa really shows off the 4 hour braising time with ultra juicy, fatty, sultry pieces of super tender Pork goodness. At times it almost tasted like I was eating chunks of Pork Fat, but not as overwhelming as if it literally was. Still, it's quite tasty and a must-order if you love that type of texture. The last half of the 8 types of Carnitas arrive at this point, with the heftier cuts served together. I love Pork Ribs, so I was really looking forward to the Costilla Carnitas Taco (Braised Pork Ribs Taco). The Pork Ribs taste very fresh, with a nice crunch from the bits of cartilage interspersed with the Pork Rib meat. It's lean, but still "dry moist." And while that was pretty good, during my 2nd, 3rd and 4th visits, the Costilla Carnitas have been even better: They've had a little bit of fat mixed in with the Pork Ribs and Cartilage, with a wonderful brightness and clarity. I'm able to pick out more of the Garlic, Bay Leaf and Oranges than during our first visit. For the leaner style of Carnitas, the Costilla is definitely my favorite! (^_^) Perhaps the leanest of all the cuts of Carnitas served here is the Maciza Carnitas Taco (Braised Pork Butt Taco), which despite its English name, is actually the Pork Shoulder. The Maciza has the least amount of remaining fat after the cooking process, and is on the dry side, slightly crisped and lightly salty. It's probably the healthiest of the 8 types of Carnitas here, and is the closest to the texture quality of the typical Carnitas found around L.A., except here, the Maciza Carnitas taste like they were made just few hours before - very fresh - and not like they were reheated from the previous day's leftovers. And on the other side of the spectrum lies Nana Carnitas Taco (Braised Pork Uterus Taco). The Braised Pork Uterus Taco is intense, dense, thick and chewy. While the term "earthy" has been bandied about to describe all sorts of foods, there is perhaps, no better term to describe the Nana Taco. I think I prefer the metallic, iron taste of Liver over Nana, but it's definitely worth trying once if you enjoy the rarer cuts of meat. But if there's one type of Carnitas that outshines the rest, it might very well be the Oreja Carnitas Taco (Braised Pig Ear Taco). It has just the right balance of fat and delicious crunchiness from the Cartilage, being at once wonderfully porky, succulent and crunchy, yet still having that moist, sexy fattiness you get with something like Pork Belly and Bacon, but here, it's in a more manageable, tiny package. (^_^) It was so outstanding, I had to make sure it wasn't a fluke, and in the 4 times I've ordered the Oreja, it's been consistently delicious. Finally, the Surtida Carnitas Taco is a combination of the Trompa, Oreja, Cuerito, Costilla, Buche and Maciza cuts, basically all the types above, except Nana (Uterus). It's a very good combination and a great exploration of texture with each bite, containing a bit of the fatty juiciness of cuts like the Pork Skin and Snout, while still having the crunch of the cartilage from the Pork Ribs and Ears. Service is pretty straightforward at Metro Balderas: You order at the counter and take a seat, and the food is brought out when ready. All 8 types of Carnitas Tacos are sold for $1.99, which is a bargain considering the slow-cooked loving care that's gone into them, and the fact that, as aforementioned, each one of these Tacos contain about ~2 to 2.5 times the amount of meat of a normal street taco. After a great absence of a Pork Carnitas specialist in L.A., it seems like we finally have something to celebrate, with the simple, mouth-watering 8 types of Carnitas of Metro Balderas. Chef Guzman's Carnitas have been so consistently good, that I can't imagine how I got by without them all these years. Like the paradigm shift I experienced with Carne Asada recently in Tijuana, I can probably never go back to just the 1 type of generic, reheated, fried "Carnitas" served around town. While they may not have the rarer Carnitas de Pato (Duck Carnitas), and while they may only serve it on weekends, I can't wait to go back to Metro Balderas to get my Taco fix of Costilla Carnitas (Braised Pork Ribs) and Oreja Carnitas (Braised Pig Ears) amongst other things. *** Rating: 8.5 (out of 10.0) *** *** Reminder: Carnitas served only on Saturday and Sunday. *** Metro Balderas 5305 N. Figueroa Street Los Angeles, CA 90042 Tel: (323) 478-8383 Hours: Mon - Sat, 9:00 a.m. 10:00 p.m. Sun, 9:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. Sat Oct 31 14:46:37 -0700 2009 113442 exilekiss 1 5145596 Attaching more Pics. For all remaining Pictures please see Link in Original Post above. Thanks! Sat Oct 31 14:48:30 -0700 2009 5145593 113442 exilekiss 2 5145732 This is a must try place for me. Until I saw those pictures I weould have argued the only places in the world to have carnitas would be El Abajeno in Guadalajara or Carnitas Uruapan in TJ (a place I'm not excited to go to these days). If they are as good as they look you will be my hero forever. Sat Oct 31 16:23:41 -0700 2009 5145596 12033 Hughlipton 3 5145738 I'm not quite sure why Chowhound gives the names and addresses of restaurants that have no relevance to the post but heck it's their site so I guess they can do what they want to do but unless you are in Guadalajara across from the Fountain Minerva your in the wrong place and the one in TJ is past Caliente Racetrack (or what once was a racetrack). Sat Oct 31 16:27:09 -0700 2009 5145732 12033 Hughlipton 4 5148987 And I totally agree: When I saw your link for an "Uruapan Restaurant" in Baldwin Park, I first thought, "Wow! Carnitas Uruapan finally opened up in L.A.??" and then I read the rest of your post. :( Hehehe. Thanks. Mon Nov 02 08:58:16 -0800 2009 5145738 113442 exilekiss 3 5148983 Hi Hughlipton, Please let me know what you think of Metro Balderas' Carnitas; I'm curious how it compares to El Abajeno in Guadalajara. For L.A., I'm just happy to have something like Metro Balderas which is better than what I've had before it. :) Mon Nov 02 08:57:16 -0800 2009 5145732 113442 exilekiss 1 5145860 This may be ignorant but I thought carnitas was always a fried thing? I did not know that carnitas also encompassed braised meat. Sat Oct 31 17:38:59 -0700 2009 5145593 11279 Burger Boy 2 5146555 I believe in Mexico they are only fried. To get a proper internal heat they may to comply with health laws have braise them up here. Sun Nov 01 07:17:19 -0800 2009 5145860 12033 Hughlipton 2 5147307 Depending on the region, it is technically a braised meat in liquid golden lard. I'll never forget the one family event that my uncle from Michoacan was making up Carnitas in an outdoor cazuela... about an hour into the party, we start smelling this yeasty smell... and checked on the carnitas and they had turned into a complete gummy mess... We had NO idea what happened, until we went back to the container we got the lard from and noticed on the cap it read 'miel' --Dommy! Sun Nov 01 13:44:51 -0800 2009 5145860 10659 Dommy 2 5149003 Hi Burger Boy, Yah, growing up in LA., I mostly ran into the fried version, but I would sometimes get served a version that was more moist, almost as if it had been stewed or braised (about ~20% of the various places I tried served it to me this way over the years), and then Eat_Nopal and Dommy!'s conversation on the hardcore Mexican Restaurant thread clarified it for me (Jalisco style vs. Michoacan style). Metro Balderas' D.F. style / family recipe involves slowly braising the various parts of the Carnitas over the course of 4 hours. Mon Nov 02 09:03:04 -0800 2009 5145860 113442 exilekiss 1 5149117 Exilekiss.... thanks to your post we were reminded to try this place and we went on Sunday... We arrived at around 8:30p and were heart broken to find out that ALL Carnitas were sold out. We knew we arrived late... the cashier was very appolgetic and said that sometimes that happens... Ah well... we made due to a Pambazo which was very well done... http://twitpic.com/nyxx0 We also tried the Quesadilla de Huitacoche and found it lacking... especially after the awesome one we had from Antojitos Carmen Vendor on Breed Street (Now relocated to the Federation of United Mexicans Office) Anyway, my brother lives nearby, so we hope to get back soon! Must have that Costilla!! --Dommy! Mon Nov 02 09:28:58 -0800 2009 5145593 10659 Dommy 2 5149926 Hi Dommy! Ah, darn. :( I'm sorry to hear they were totally sold out of all 8 types of Carnitas. I would love to hear your thoughts on the Carnitas here. (And thanks again for the great rec for Frida's Carnitas... they were quite delicious! :). I've never tried any of their regular Antojitos items; thanks for the thoughts on their Quesadilla. Do you have an address for where Antojitos Carmen moved to? Thanks. Mon Nov 02 13:18:11 -0800 2009 5149117 113442 exilekiss 3 5150129 Federacion Mexico Unido Hall. 2232 E César E Chavez, 2nd Fl Los Angeles, CA 90033 Mon Nov 02 14:06:10 -0800 2009 5149926 12588 Mattapoisett in LA 4 5151130 Thanks Mattapoisett. :) I just saw your post in the Breed Street thread (bummer that the vendors are all splitting up). Mon Nov 02 21:42:10 -0800 2009 5150129 113442 exilekiss 5 5151592 What is going on at Breed Street. Can you attach the thread or start a new one. I am going to search right now. Thanks Tue Nov 03 06:42:02 -0800 2009 5151130 11279 Burger Boy 6 5151654 Breed St Vendors Update. http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/664164 Tue Nov 03 07:09:24 -0800 2009 5151592 12588 Mattapoisett in LA 7 5155290 Thanks! Wed Nov 04 10:00:54 -0800 2009 5151654 11279 Burger Boy 1 5149151 Great post! I wish I lived closer to try this place or maybe a special trip is in order. Most of my carnits experience is in Los Cabos and they slow cook in lard and then fry some to get some crisp to it. Here's some pics I've put together. Those 3 big pots are really something http://www.flickr.com/photos/61246842@N00/sets/72157622593930245/ Mon Nov 02 09:35:06 -0800 2009 5145593 10111 9lives 2 5149824 9lives that's just what it looks like in Mexico. At the Uruapan in TJ they used copper pots. Mon Nov 02 12:54:09 -0800 2009 5149151 12033 Hughlipton 2 5149942 Hi 9lives, Thanks. :) Wow, the place in Los Cabos looks great. 3 giant vats of Carnitas cooking, and the finished product... I would say that's probably a far more serious Carnitas specialist than Metro Balderas. :) Do you have an address for your favorite spot? Thanks. Mon Nov 02 13:20:57 -0800 2009 5149151 113442 exilekiss 3 5153030 here's a link...http://www.losmichoacanos.com/about.htm Looks like they're up to 5 stores now. My pics are from 2 years ago. They were taken at the Vicario location. Vicariao was closed shortly after and was replaced by a newer, more upscale version. I've also been to the location in San Jose on the road from the airport to Cabo and the 1 across the street from Soriana. Went last year and was just as good and will be back in a few months. Great salsa selection brought to your table. Tue Nov 03 13:57:07 -0800 2009 5149942 10111 9lives 1 5163780 EK: Good review and good rec. Went to the Highland Park location today and ordered the $7.50 special of pork butt/shoulder carnitas...lean and tender. You get a pound of carnitas with onions, cilantro, and a dozen tortillas. Plenty for three of us. The restroom was impressive too, nicely tiled, roomy with upgraded fixtures and immaculately clean. Sat Nov 07 14:15:06 -0800 2009 5145593 11914 monku 2 5166044 Today we went to the Panorama City location after visiting friends and ordered the same deal... We asked for 1/2 of Maciza and 1/2 of Costilla and it was an awesome mix... http://www.flickr.com/photos/dommichu/4088426042/ The crisp meat of the Maciza contrasted wonderfully with the cartilage of the costilla. This was the best Carnitas experience I've had in a good long while... much better than the Carnitas stand at Grand Central Market, but I must admit, I think I prefer the softer texture of Ana Maria's and Cinco Puntos just a little better... Sun Nov 08 19:13:59 -0800 2009 5163780 10659 Dommy 3 5166299 Went to the HP location today for a light lunch to go. The Maciza and Costilla were great. However the Cuerito (pork skin), looked absolutely inedible. I don't know what I was thinking... My son liked his carne asada tacos, but agreed that both My Taco & Taco Spot's were superior. Sun Nov 08 22:15:12 -0800 2009 5166044 11135 Briggs 4 5168109 Hi Briggs, Thanks for the report back. I'm glad to hear the Maciza and Costilla were good. Bummer about the Cuerito. If I may ask, was it too dried out or too fatty, or what was the problem with it? Thanks. Mon Nov 09 14:15:26 -0800 2009 5166299 113442 exilekiss 5 5169362 Not sure if the problem was either - the Cuerito just looked pretty gross. I guess I was expecting the skin to be crispy, which it certainly wasn't. I live very close by, so I'll probably check it out again since the fruit shakes look pretty intriguing. Tue Nov 10 01:15:16 -0800 2009 5168109 11135 Briggs 6 5170041 Hi Briggs, Thanks. Ah yes, the Carnitas de Cuerito is definitely more of the slow-braised, "stewed" variety. It's very soft and gelatinous (if you've ever sampled the much-talked about "Pork Pump" at various Shanghai restaurants that the Hounds talk about, the skin is like the outer portion of that :). It's definitely not "healthy" but if you like that texture and flavor, it's quite tasty. :) For the leaner, less gelatinous cuts, consider the Maciza (Leaner Pork Meat (from the Shoulder area)), Costilla (Pork Ribs w/ some nice Cartilage crunchy bits :), and Oreja (Braised Pig Ears, a mix of soft, silky and crunchy with some Cartilage as well). Enjoy~ :) Tue Nov 10 09:08:21 -0800 2009 5169362 113442 exilekiss 3 5168104 Hi Dommy, Nice! :) I'm glad you enjoyed the Maciza and Costilla combination (I didn't know they could mix it up for you :). If you like cartilage, give their Oreja a try. :) So do you like the softer version at Ana Maria's more than the one at Frida's you were telling me about? Thanks. Mon Nov 09 14:13:52 -0800 2009 5166044 113442 exilekiss 4 5168177 You know, I like Cartilage and tendon, but I'm not such a huge fan of Oreja... My mother always includes at least two in her Cochinita (it's actually essential for the sauce) and it's never appealed to me... I brought up Ana Maria's because it has a good mixture of soft and crisp edges, while the one at Frida's is mostly soft. I still love both, but I used Ana Maria's as a think for point of comparison because if you place Metros Carinitas next to Frida's, they don't even look like they are the same thing... --Dommy! Mon Nov 09 14:34:53 -0800 2009 5168104 10659 Dommy 5 5169139 Hi Dommy! Ah, I see. Thanks for the clarification. :) I'll have to try Ana Maria's soon. Thanks. Mon Nov 09 21:02:35 -0800 2009 5168177 113442 exilekiss 2 5168093 Hi monku, Thanks. :) I have to thank Jonathan Gold for turning me onto the place first. If you get a chance, next time give their Oreja (Carnitas Pig Ears) and Costilla a try; they're even more moist, juicy, and delectable. :) Mon Nov 09 14:11:44 -0800 2009 5163780 113442 exilekiss