The Day Memphis Met Michoacán

I remember the first time I headed down to a competition in San Antonio. I thought I knew everything there was to know about pork shoulder—I’m a Memphis man, after all, and we treat the hog like royalty. But then I sat down at a dusty roadside stand and had a plate of street carnitas.

It hit me right then: carnitas is just Mexican BBQ. They’re looking for the same things we are in a Grand Championship entry—tenderness, rendered fat, and that perfect contrast of textures. I went back home and started playing with how to get that wood-fired soul into the taco truck classic. This recipe for Smoked Carnitas is the result of that obsession and is easily one of the best Carnitas I’ve ever produced. It’s got the deep, smoky bark of a Memphis shoulder but the crispy, citrus-kissed soul of Central Michoacán.

Fire Management: The Heart of the Cook

Before you even touch that pork butt, we need to talk about fire. In the BBQ world, we talk about “Thin Blue Smoke.” This isn’t just a catchy phrase; it’s a way of life. When you look at your stack, you shouldn’t see thick, white clouds. That white smoke is “dirty”—it’s full of soot and creosote that’ll make your carnitas taste like an ashtray.

You want a whisper of blue. That means your fire is burning hot and clean, and your wood chunks are combusting properly. I prefer a Pecan smoked pork butt for this cook. It’s got a sweet, mellow profile that bridges the gap between the savory cumin in my rub and the natural sweetness of the pork.

Trust the Process: Navigating the Stall

Around the five or six-hour mark, your internal temperature is going to stop moving. It’ll sit at 160°F like it’s stuck in North Memphis traffic. This is what we call “the stall.”

Now, don’t you dare crank up the heat. The stall is when the collagen in the meat is breaking down into silky gelatin. If you rush it, you’ll end up with tough meat that won’t shred. I like to use the “Texas Crutch”—wrapping the meat in foil—once the bark is a beautiful mahogany color. This traps the steam and helps the pork stay juicy while it powers through to that 205°F finish line.

The Smoke-to-Cast-Iron Bridge

The secret to world-class carnitas is the texture. Traditional recipes simmer the meat in lard, but we’re using pecan smoke to build our flavor foundation. To get those legendary crispy edges, we use the “Smoke-to-Cast-Iron Bridge.”

Once that meat has rested and been shredded, we take it to a screaming hot cast iron skillet. We use the “pork gold”—the rendered fat and juices left in the foil wrap—to sear the edges of the pork. That heavy thermal mass of the cast iron provides a crust that you just can’t get in a smoker alone.

How to Serve It

When I’m having the guys over for a game, I set this up as a backyard taco bar. Keep the pork in the cast iron skillet to stay warm. Serve it as Crispy smoked pulled pork tacos with:

• Warm Corn Tortillas: Char them slightly over the burner if you can.
• Pickled Red Onions: I make mine Southern-style with a little extra sugar in the brine.
• Fresh Cilantro and Lime: You need that hit of acid to cut through the rich, smoky fat.

This recipe takes all day, but BBQ rewards patience. When you take that first bite and feel the crunch of the sear followed by the melt-in-your-mouth smoky pork, you’ll know exactly why we don’t rush the process. Low and slow, that’s how we go.