Carnitas

Tacos made with carnitas filling

Carnitas, literally "little meats," is a dish made of braised or roasted and then fried or sauteed pork in Mexican cuisine.

Pork carnitas are traditionally made using the heavily marbled, rich 'boston butt' or 'picnic ham' cuts of pork.^[1] The 6–16 lb (3–7 kg) sections are usually cut down to a workable (6–10 lb) size and seasoned heavily before slow braising or deep frying. At this stage, the collagen in the meat has broken down sufficiently to allow it to be pulled apart by hand or fork or chopped with a cleaver.

Carnitas are typically served with chopped coriander leaves (cilantro) and diced onion, salsa, guacamole, tortillas, and refried beans (frijoles refritos).

It can be a dish by itself, or an ingredient in tamales, tacos, tortas, and burritos.

Traditional carnitas

The traditional way to cook carnitas is in a copper pot which disperses the heat evenly (one may use any thick-bottomed pot to get the same result). Lard is used to cover the dish in proportion to the amount of meat being cooked. Once the lard has melted, pork and flavorings are added (usually salt, chile, cumin, oregano or Mexican oregano, marjoram, thyme, bay leaf, and crushed garlic cloves). Traditional carnitas are then made by process of simmering the meat until tender over a very low heat. Once appropriate tenderness is achieved, the heat is turned up and the outside of the pork begins to crisp. The carnitas can then be cooled and shredded.

See also

• Cochinita pibil
• Pulled pork
• Rousong

References

External links

• Carnitas recipe