Cooking Lesson #280: ¡Fiesta! Carnitas -- Traditional Mexican Crispy Pork

The Cinco de Mayo Collection

How you doin’? Carnitas is one of my favorite Mexican foods. It is very versatile and can be used plated on its own or in tacos, enchiladas and/or tostadas.
 
The literal meaning of Carnitas is "little meats." It is a dish of Mexican cuisine that originated in the state of Michoacán. Carnitas is made by braising or simmering the meat in pork lard until tender. The process takes three to four hours, and the result is very tender and juicy meat, which is then typically served with chopped coriander (cilantro leaves), pickled red onion, salsa, guacamole, tortillas and refried beans.

You wouldn’t think that any meat “boiled” in lard would come out tasting great and not be greasy at all. It’s kind of an unusual dish to cook as well. When you first start cooking in pork lard the smell around the kitchen is a bit off putting, but it transforms into something sublime the longer it cooks.
 
Prep time:  15 minutes
Cook time:  3 to 4 hours
Cool time:  1 hour
Yield:  4 Pounds
 
Ingredients
5 pounds Lard
6 ounces cola soda
2 small oranges, cut in quarters and seeded
6 whole cloves garlic, smashed
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro,
2 whole fresh jalapeño chiles, halved lengthwise
2 teaspoons ancho chili powder
1 medium white onion, quartered
2 teaspoons kosher salt
5 to 6 pounds pork butt, cut in 3- to 4-inch cubes
 
Directions

1. Measure all ingredients, ready to go at your side.
2. Place the lard in a heavy deep pot or Dutch oven over medium-low heat. 
3. When the lard has just melted (and is still relatively cool) add the cola, oranges, garlic cloves, cilantro, jalapenos, chili powder and onion. 
                                     NEVER ADD COLA OR OTHER INGREDIENTS INTO HOT LARD
                                                AS IT CAN CAUSE A SAFETY AND FIRE HAZARD
4. Lightly salt the meat and place in the pot with lard mixture.
5. Cook over medium-low heat for 2-1/2 to 3 hours. After about 30 minutes the lard will begin to boil.  Allow it to boil it gently. 
6. Remove orange slices and allow meat to brown.
7. After the meat browns, remove from the lard and allow to drain on paper towels.
8. While the pork is still warm, shred meat with two forks.
9. To reheat the carnitas, transfer the meat to a sheet pan and pour 3/4 cup cooking liquid over meat and toss to combine. Broil until crisp and deeply browned in spots.
10. Serve with tortillas, sour cream, thinly sliced cabbage, pickled red onion, and hot sauce.

ChefSecret:  There are some recipes that utilize an Instant Pot to make carnitas. These recipes don’t fry the meat in lard—they braise them in liquid. While the Instant Pot makes a great pulled pork, I wouldn’t call it carnitas. By the way, you should never use your Instant Pot or any pressure cooker for frying in oil under pressure. It’s very dangerous. 

Covid-19 Quip of the Day: “A great practical joke now is to go up to someone’s door, ring the doorbell, then instead of running away, just stand there.”

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