Carnitas
Michoacán pork confited slowly in lard until meltingly tender and crisp at the edges
Quiroga, a lakeside town in Michoacán, is the capital of carnitas: on weekends the plaza fills with stalls simmering huge copper pots of pork, sold by the kilo with warm tortillas, salsa verde and lime. This pork dish uses shoulder cooked gently in its own fat and lard with orange and garlic, so it turns soft inside and then browns into crisp, golden edges at the end. Pile it into tacos with onion, coriander and salsa, or keep it for tortas ahogadas. Chef's tip: when the meat is tender, turn the heat up for the last 10–15 minutes and stir; this final fry in hot lard is what gives carnitas their crackly edges.
- Total time
- 195 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the carnitas
To serve
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Rub 3 ⅓ lb boneless pork shoulder with some fat and 10 ½ oz pork belly, if using, all over with 1 tbsp salt and leave at room temperature while the lard melts.
10 minStep 2: Melt 2 ¼ lb pork lard in a large, heavy, deep pot over a medium heat until liquid and shimmering but not smoking.
Step 3: Add the pork, ½ cup water, the juice of 1 orange plus the squeezed halves, 6 cloves garlic, 3 bay leaves and 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano. The meat should be mostly submerged. The water stops it frying too soon.
Step 4: Turn the heat down so the fat bubbles very gently and cook, uncovered, turning the pieces now and then. Keep the bubbling lazy: fat that is too hot at this stage is the common mistake, as it fries the outside hard before the inside turns tender.
150 minStep 5: The pork is ready for the final stage when it is fork-tender and a piece breaks apart with a spoon, and the water has bubbled away so the fat has gone clear and quiet.
Step 6: Turn the heat up to medium-high and cook, stirring and turning carefully, until the pork is deep golden and crisp at the edges.
15 minStep 7: Lift the pork out with a slotted spoon onto a tray lined with kitchen paper, discard the orange halves and bay, and pull the meat into large chunks. Let the lard cool, strain it and keep it in the fridge for next time.
5 minStep 8: Serve heaped into 18 warm corn tortillas with 1 white onion, 1 bunch fresh coriander, 1 cup salsa verde and a squeeze of 3 limes.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 720 kcal
- Protein
- 46 g
- Carbs
- 36 g
- Fat
- 43 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does carnitas take?
- About 195 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 180 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of orange?
- Mandarins or clementines, same weight.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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