At our friends Cecilia and Eric’s I tasted the best carnitas I’ve ever had. Homesick for familiar flavors, they searched for an authentic carnitas recipe and adjusted it until it was perfect. Having lived in Houston, I’ve tried many carnitas, but theirs stood out. Carnitas resemble pulled pork, but instead of only braising the meat until it falls apart, traditional carnitas are also fried so the edges become crisp and caramelized.
Tacos de carnitas
Carnitas are a popular street food that originated in Michoacán, a state west of Mexico City, and are now enjoyed across Mexico and the southern United States. The name carnitas means “little meats” and they are most commonly served as tacos de carnitas. An authentic recipe traditionally uses a whole pig, salt, lard, water and a splash of lime juice, cooked for hours in a large copper pot called a cazo until the exterior is crisp and the interior is tender. A related dish from the Yucatán, cochinita pibil, uses roast pork prepared in a different style and is not fried.
You don’t need an entire pig to make great carnitas at home. Choose a fatty shoulder cut—Boston butt, picnic shoulder or pork neck—because these cuts render enough fat during cooking to crisp the meat without adding extra fat. While slow cookers or ovens can produce good results, the classic method of braising on the stovetop and finishing in the pot or a heavy pan, such as a cast-iron Dutch oven, gives the best balance of tender interior and crispy edges.
Pork neck
Carnitas Recipe
Total time: 3 hours
- 3 lbs (1.4 kg) boneless pork shoulder
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) freshly squeezed orange juice
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp salt
Method
- Cut the pork into chunks about 1.5 inches (4 cm) each and halve the garlic cloves.
- Combine the orange and lime juice, cumin and salt in a Dutch oven. Add the meat and garlic, then pour in enough water to just cover the pork.
- Bring the pot to a boil, then lower the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Leave the pot uncovered and do not stir for 2 hours. The meat will initially plump up; as it braises it will shrink and the liquid will reduce.
- After 2 hours, increase the heat to medium-high and begin stirring occasionally. The remaining liquid will evaporate and the pork will begin to fry in its own rendered fat, forming crisp, browned edges. If you prefer carnitas that break down completely like pulled pork, cook until the meat collapses into strands; for chunkier pieces, remove earlier. This finishing stage takes about 30–45 minutes depending on your texture preference.
- Serve the carnitas in warm corn tortillas with thinly sliced onion and fresh cilantro. Add guacamole, salsa or pico de gallo, or use the carnitas as a topping for salads, rice bowls or with refried beans and sour cream.
Pork having a Margarita bath
Carnitas starting to break down
Salad with pork carnitas, sour cream and salsa
This straightforward method produces rich, flavorful carnitas with a wonderful contrast between tender meat and crisp edges. While pork is the traditional choice, you can experiment with duck, chicken or beef for variations that suit your taste.