Which part of the pig should you choose for carnitas? It's as simple as choosing cuts of meat that aren't lean . Keep in mind that the presence of marbling will produce tender and juicy carnitas.
The truth is, there's no rule for choosing the meat . Some experts say that any part of the pig is ideal for making carnitas; even the ear, tail, or jowl could be part of this exquisite Mexican recipe that we love so much.
We used ribs—the thick kind with lots of meat and fat—, chunks of pork loin, and secreto (a cut of pork shoulder). The size of the meat pieces can range from large to small, and they can be served directly without needing to be cut beforehand.
You'll find a few versions that include slices of sour orange or some aromatic leaves, but we've opted for the simplest and most traditional recipe . And of course, we've prepared a red salsa to enjoy with some carnitas tacos.
Recipe Information
- Preparation time : 20 minutes
- Cooking time : 1 hour and 10 minutes
- Total time : 1 hour and 30 minutes
- Servings : 6
- Category : main course
- Type of cuisine : Mexican
- Calories per serving (kcal) : 501
Ingredients of carnitas
For the carnitas:
- 500g of diced fatty pork ribs
- 500g of diced pork loin head
- 500g of diced pork secreto
- 300 g of lard
- 4-5 crushed garlic cloves (30 g)
- 4 teaspoons of salt (24 g)
- Water
For the red taco sauce:
- 250g of pear tomatoes
- Half a spring onion
- 2 peeled, whole garlic cloves
- 10 árbol chiles or poblano chiles or 1 dried chili pepper
- 1 splash of olive oil
- Salt to taste
- 1 pinch of sugar
- 1 splash of lime juice
- Beef broth (optional, to thin the sauce)
To serve:
- 1 spring onion, diced small
- A few fresh cilantro leaves
- 4 limes cut into quarters
- 16 hot corn tortillas
Necessary utensils
- Knife and cutting board
- Cast iron pot
- Frying pan
- Food processor
How to make carnitas
In this recipe, we'll go through each step needed to prepare authentic carnitas. First, we'll prepare the carnitas. Then, we'll make the red salsa to accompany them, and finally, we'll see how to serve the carnitas.
How to prepare pork carnitas
We put 500g of diced fat pork ribs, 500g of diced pork loin, 500g of diced pork secreto, 300g of lard, 4 or 5 crushed garlic cloves and 4 teaspoons of salt into a cast iron pot and add enough water to cover the meats.
Bring to a boil, stir with a wooden spoon, and cover. Let it simmer over medium-low heat until the meat is cooked through, approximately 45 minutes.
We uncover the pot, turn the heat up to the maximum to evaporate the cooking broth and continue boiling, stirring occasionally.
Once the liquids have evaporated, we start mixing the carnitas with the wooden spoon so that they fry evenly until golden brown.
Remove from the heat, drain the meat from the lard using a slotted spoon, and serve in an earthenware casserole dish. Set aside.
How to prepare red sauce
We put 250g of pear tomatoes, half a spring onion and 2 cloves of garlic in a pan, heat over high heat and toast the vegetables.
We add 10 árbol chiles without the stems and let them toast a little, but without letting them get too toasted.
Remove from heat, chop a little and put everything in a blender.
We add a splash of olive oil, salt to taste, a pinch of sugar and a splash of lime juice.
Blend until you have a sauce. If you want it thinner, you can add a little more oil, pork broth, or beef broth. You can also continue cooking it over very low heat for a couple of minutes and then strain it for a smoother consistency.
We keep the sauce in a jar until we are ready to serve the carnitas.
How to serve carnitas
We dice 1 spring onion into small cubes ( brunoise ), chop some fresh cilantro leaves, and cut 4 limes into quarters. We serve them in separate bowls along with the red sauce.
We garnish the carnitas casserole with some chopped fresh cilantro and lime wedges, and serve the chopped onion, cilantro, red salsa and 16 warm corn tortillas so that everyone can make their own taco to their liking.
Easy-to-prepare summary
- For the carnitas , we put the ribs, the pork loin, the secreto (a cut of pork), the lard, and the salt into a cast iron pot, and cover with water.
- Heat over high heat until it starts to boil, then reduce the heat, cover the pot and let it cook for 45 minutes.
- We uncover the pot, turn up the heat and let the liquids evaporate completely, stirring occasionally.
- We mix the carnitas carefully with a wooden spoon and fry them until golden brown.
- Remove from heat, drain the carnitas with a slotted spoon and serve them in a clay pot
- For the red sauce , we toast the tomatoes, onion, and garlic in a pan.
- Add the árbol chiles and toast for a few seconds
- Remove from heat, chop and put in a blender
- We add a drizzle of olive oil, salt to taste, a pinch of sugar, and a squeeze of lime juice.
- We blend until we have a sauce
- We keep it in a jar until it's time to serve the carnitas.
- To serve the carnitas , dice the onions, chop the cilantro leaves, and cut the limes into quarters.
- We garnish the carnitas casserole with chopped cilantro and lime wedges, and separately we serve the chopped onion, more chopped cilantro, the red salsa, and the warm corn tortillas.
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Whenever I want something rich and indulgent, I usually go for this La Viña Molten Cheesecake recipe, this elegant Original French Crème Brûlée recipe, or a decadent Chocolate Mousse Cake recipe. And when I’m craving something fruity and comforting, I always come back to this classic French Tarte Tatin recipe.
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