Enjoy By Independence Day Carnitas

Beer Details

• Beer Style: American Double / Imperial IPA
• 9.4
• 88
• Brewery: Stone Brewing Co.

Freedom Comes in the Form of a Taco

I have a problem living in the moment. My life exists in the form of fear of the future and shame of the past. The present moment seems to not matter. The only time the present matters is when I’m either staring at fatty animal protein nestled with cilantro and wrapped in a corn tortilla or creating said animal protein with my own hands. Living in the present is the only form a freedom that exists in my life and so tacos truly does equal freedom.

The rump is a very fatty portion of the pig and is great for slow roasting. When it comes to fatty and savory flavors, my go to beer would be an IPA. The hoppy flavors make a great contrast with fat, which is why it goes great with your fourteen dollar Los Angeles burger (worth the price). I have created braised pork with Ballast Point Sculpin in the past and this recipe will continue to bring the IPA and fat together.

This recipe features Stone’s Enjoy By IPA. This is surprisingly smooth and citrusy in flavor while the hops take a back seat. Okay, it is Stone. The hops are more like a child taking the back seat while shouting “are we there yet?” every ten seconds. This beer is a ticking time bomb and goes bad after the date on the bottle (hence the name Enjoy By). This season’s Enjoy By falls on the fourth of July and considering my desire to live in a state of freedom, lets make some damn tacos!

Conclusion

I am biased and believe that if I were to cook pork with no seasoning, I would still enjoy every moment of it. However, a little spice and a little hops makes a difference, especially the aroma. For those of you thinking of buying a case of IPAs and barbecuing burgers and hot dogs, I say try something different… and, lets be honest, more delicious!

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Enjoy By Independence Day Carnitas ingredients

• 4 pounds of pork shoulder
• 2 teaspoons of salt
• 2 cloves
• 2 tablespoons of cumin
• 2 teaspoons of sea salt
• 1 tablespoon of allspice
• 2 tablespoons of California chili powder
• 1 1/2 cups of Stone Enjoy By 7/4/15
• Shot of tequila
• Banana leaves (or aluminum foil)

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Enjoy By Independence Day Carnitas directions

• Add dry spices and blend them together. Set aside and begin cutting the pork rump into smaller chunks. Take your dry spices and rub it all over the pork rump chunks. Make sure all surface area on the pork is covered completely. Place pork chunks in a big zip-lock bag and add Stone Enjoy By. Seal the bag, give it a few shakes, and let the pork marinade over night.
• In a large casserole dish, create a bed of banana leaves. Take out your marinaded pork and pour into your casserole dish. Lay another layer of banana leaves on top and seal the dish with tin foil. Place dish in a 375° Fahrenheit pre-heated oven for a minimum of 4 hours or until the pork just falls right off the bone.

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