Carnitas
Ingredients
- 4 pounds pork shoulder – cut into 2-inch chunks, excess hard fat trimmed (~5.5 n/a pork shoulders)
- 1 1/2 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 cup lard
- 2 cups water
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1 large orange – halved and juiced
- 1 head garlic – halved crosswise
- 1 medium white onion – halved
- 2 leaves bay leaves
- corn tortillas – warmed (for serving)
- onion – finely chopped (for serving)
- cilantro leaves – chopped (for serving)
- salsa – (for serving)
- lime – cut into wedges (for serving)
Instructions
1. Cut the pork shoulder into 2-inch chunks, trim away any thick hard fat, and sprinkle evenly with the kosher salt; let stand 10 minutes.
2. In a wide, heavy pot (Dutch oven), combine the lard, water, and whole milk and warm over medium heat until the lard is melted, 2–3 minutes.
3. Add the seasoned meat, squeeze the orange into the pot and drop in the spent orange halves, then add the garlic, the white onion, and the bay leaves.
4. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Adjust heat to maintain a bare simmer and cook uncovered until the pork is very tender and most of the liquid has evaporated, 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours; a skewer should slide in easily and you should see mostly fat bubbling.
5. Increase heat to medium-high and let the pork fry in the rendered fat, turning occasionally, until deeply browned with crisp edges, 8–12 minutes.
6. Remove and discard the orange halves, garlic, white onion, and bay leaves. Transfer the meat to a board and shred or chop into bite-size pieces, leaving some chunky bits; moisten with a spoonful of the rendered fat if desired.
7. Warm the corn tortillas and set out the onion, cilantro leaves, salsa, and lime wedges for serving.
8. Serve the carnitas in warm tortillas with onion, cilantro, and salsa; squeeze lime to taste.
Carnitas are meltingly tender pork cooked slowly in fat until the meat yields into juicy bites with irresistibly crisp, caramelized edges. The flavor is rich and savory, with subtle citrus and garlic notes perfuming the pork rather than overpowering it. Served in warm tortillas with chopped onion, cilantro, salsa, and a squeeze of lime, carnitas balance succulence, brightness, and texture in every bite.
Originating in the state of Michoacán, carnitas are traditionally cooked in large copper cauldrons, where pieces from various parts of the pig gently confit in lard before being browned. Over time the dish spread nationwide and into taquerías beyond Mexico, where pork shoulder became the common cut for home cooking. Despite many regional and modern variations, the defining method remains the same: slow, gentle cooking in fat followed by a final crisping step.