Authentic Mexican Carnitas

This authentic carnitas recipe creates the most tender pork you can imagine! Make it for family dinners or to feed a party crowd. Slightly adapted from Gonzalo Guzman’s, Nopalito. Calories: 489kcal/serving | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 62g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 164mg | Sodium: 152mg | Potassium: 1100mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 55IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 3mg

Unbalanced

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Rub the kosher salt over pork. Place in a sealed container and refrigerate over night.

Step 2

Remove pork from refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature.

Step 3

In a large piece of cheesecloth, wrap the garlic cloves, orange, onion, bay leaves, Mexican oregano and cinnamon stick and secure with kitchen twine.

Step 4

Melt the lard in a large, heavy stock pot over high heat. Carefully add the Seasoning Bundle, piloncillo (or brown sugar) and pork chunks.

Step 5

Bring lard to a boil over high heat, lower to medium (adjust heat to medium low if pork turns brown too quickly) and cook, stirring often, for 90 minutes. Pork will turn a golden brown.

Step 6

Turn heat to low and carefully add the milk. Stir and it will boil slightly for 30 seconds. Simmer for 20-30 minutes until meat is fall apart tender when gently squeezed with tongs or fork.

Step 7

Carefully transfer pork from oil using a slotted spoon or spider to a serving platter lined with paper towels. Allow meat to cool slightly and shred by hand or using forks.

Step 8

Serve with hot tortillas, refried beans, sliced onions, tomato slices, cilantro, limes and salsas of choice.

Step 9

Mexican oregano is a relative of Lemon Verbena and is native to Mexico. Similar in that it’s pungent like Mediterranean oregano, Mexican oregano has notes of mild licorice and citrus. Mediterranean oregano is a member of the mint family and most often is used in Greek and Italian recipes. Mediterranean oregano is the one most found in spice racks and supermarkets.

Step 10

I buy ARMOUR Manteca/Lard in a 4 pound tub found near the butcher/meat section at my local market.

Step 11

Piloncillo is cane sugar, similar in taste to molasses and can be found at most Mexican/Latin markets. It comes in a 8 ounce cone shape, wrapped in plastic. For this recipe you just need 2 ounces, I chop off a quarter chunk, or if I do not have any on hand, will substitute a 1/4 cup of brown sugar.**NUTRITIONAL info is for carnitas meat only. Fat and calorie counts stated here are high and do not take into account the discarded fat it is fried in.

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