There Are Pandas, and Then There Are Pandas.
And this isn't either of them! The Pandas we're talking about here, are watches, not bears. And what got me thinking about them (again) was a link posted this morning by @cm.rook who pointed a few of us to the very attractive (and not terribly priced) Yema "Rallygraph" Panda which, in it's most traditional arrangement, looks like the one on the left, but can also be had in the version on the right: The model on the left is a true Panda, while the model on the right is called a reverse Panda. The reason for that distinction is clear--Panda bears, only come in the first arrangement. Now at this point, everyone should be thinking about the most well-know Panda, The Rolex Panda, which is actually a Daytona, and among Rolex Daytonas, the most famous of which is the Paul Newman Daytona, which was famous first, because it was Paul's, and second because it sold at auction for $17.8 million (US Dollars). The story of that auction is well-known so I'll only...
Nov 8, 2019
145°F (63°C) for 24 to 36 hours Very tender and moist; not very shreddable. Better for cubing or searing as slabs.
165°F (74°C) for 12 to 24 hours Moist and easy to shred with your hands or forks 185°F (85°C) for 8 to 16 hours Traditional texture that shreds naturally Ingredients:
4 pounds (1.8kg) boneless pork shoulder, cut into 2-inch-thick slabs
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
6 medium cloves garlic 1 stick cinnamon, broken into 3 to 4 pieces 2 bay leaves 1 medium orange, peel intact Kosher salt To Serve: Warm corn tortillas Lime wedges Chopped white onion and fresh cilantro leaves Salsa Verde or other salsa Directions 1. Combine pork, onion, garlic, cinnamon stick, and bay leaves in a large bowl. Split orange into quarters and squeeze juice into bowl before adding rest of orange. Season generously with kosher salt and toss to combine.
2. Transfer contents to a vacuum bag and seal. 3.
When ready to cook, set sous vide cooker to desired temperature according to chart above. 4.
Add bag to sous vide bath and cook for recommended time according to chart above. I prefer at 165° for 12 to 24 hours. Make sure to top water up occasionally as it evaporates, and keep bag completely submerged. If bag floats, weigh it down by placing a wet kitchen towel on top of it. Alternatively, use a heavy-duty binder clip to attach a metal spoon or knife to bottom of bag as a weight. 5.
When meat is cooked, remove from water bath and transfer contents of bag to a large bowl. Pick out chunks of meat with a set of tongs and transfer them to a rimmed baking sheet. (Discard aromatics and excess liquid, or reserve liquid and blend it in with your salsa.) When it is cool enough to handle, shred meat roughly using 2 forks or your fingers. Spread evenly over baking sheet. Pork can be prepared up to this point and refrigerated in a sealed container for up to 5 days before serving. 6.
When ready to serve, adjust an oven rack to 3 inches below the broiler element and preheat broiler to high. Place pork under broiler and cook, using a spoon to flip pieces occasionally, until meat is browned and crisp on most sides, about 10 minutes total. Alternatively, working in batches, heat carnitas in a cast iron or nonstick skillet over medium heat, turning occasionally, until crisp, about 10 minutes. 7.
Serve carnitas with warm tortillas, lime wedges, chopped onion and cilantro, and salsa.