Carnitas
Carnitas
Pork cooked in its own fat until it shreds and the edges crisp — Michoacán's taco filling, not a dry roast.
Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen. Native name preserved: Carnitas.
0 people cooked this in the public kitchen yet. Kitchen-tested by I Want Some Food. Not a purchased rating.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 3 hr 30 min
- Rest
- None
- Total
- 3 hr 50 min
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Spice
- No chilli
- Cost
- A bit special$16–28 USD · indicative, not a store price
About
Carnitas are pork shoulder (and ideally a bit of skin) simmered in lard or in its own juices with orange and a little milk until fork-tender, then fried in the remaining fat so the edges lacquer. Home ovens can braise then broil. It should be juicy and a little sweet, not pulled-pork barbecue. A pale braise with no final blast gives you stew, not carnitas. Get colour at the end, in the fat or under a fierce grill, while the meat is still moist inside. Too little salt at the start cannot be fixed by a squeeze of orange at the table. If you use only lean meat it shreds dry; keep some fatty pieces in the pot. Milk can brown and catch — stay nearby. Pull into rough chunks, not threads like American barbecue, or you lose the fried edges that make a taco interesting.
Ingredients
Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.
Steps
Step 1
Salt the pork. Pack into a pot with onion, garlic, orange, oregano and a splash of water or milk. Cover and cook in a 150°C oven 3 hours until collapsing.
180 minStep 2
Shred. Spread on a tray with some of the fat and juices. Grill or fry until the edges crisp, 8–10 minutes.
10 minStep 3
Tortillas, onion, coriander, lime, salsa.
Adapt this recipe
The canonical recipe stays intact. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are maths, not AI.
Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 10 October.
Substitutions
Orange → A splash of orange juice
The peel is doing aromatic work. Keep it if you can.
Tips
- A real copper pot of lard is the market method. The oven braise is the apartment method.
- Do not drain all the fat. That is the flavour.
History & culture
Michoacán copper pots, market tacos, and the weekend project that becomes Tuesday quesadillas. A copper pot in Michoacán is an ideal, not a requirement for respect. What is required is pork that tastes of itself, a little citrus, and tortillas that are not an afterthought. Markets sell it by weight with salsa and lime. Homes turn Sunday's pot into Tuesday's quesadilla without a speech. Calling it 'Mexican pulled pork' flattens the texture. The bits should be mixed: soft, lacquered, a little chewy.
Confit-style pork in New Spain. Orange and condensed-milk tricks are later home and taqueria moves. Slow pork in fat is a practical answer to feeding a crowd before reliable refrigeration. Citrus and dairy tricks are later kitchen cunning. Taquerías industrialised the output without abandoning the confit idea. Food media loves a cauldron. The through-line is cheaper cuts made celebratory by time and pork fat. That is not mysterious. It is livestock plus patience, which is how a lot of good things start.
Regional variation
Provenance: Editorial adaptation.
Questions about this recipe
Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips — not a chatbot.
How long does Carnitas take?
3 hr 50 min all in — 20 min prep, 3 hr 30 min cook. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.
How many does it serve?
The recipe is written for 8 plates. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.
How hard is it?
Medium.
How spicy is it?
No chilli.
What allergens should I watch?
This recipe is labelled for Milk. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.
Does it fit a diet?
The published recipe is labelled Gluten-free, Nut-free.
What does it cost to cook?
A bit special — about $16–28 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.
What equipment do I need?
Dutch oven, Oven.
How much salt do I put in?
The recipe lists Salt at 2 tsp.
What can I use instead?
Orange → A splash of orange juice. The peel is doing aromatic work. Keep it if you can.
Any tips from this recipe?
A real copper pot of lard is the market method. The oven braise is the apartment method. Do not drain all the fat. That is the flavour.
Can I use an air fryer?
This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.
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