I want to begin this article by apologizing to all those who do not eat meat for any reason. Please know that you have our deepest admiration, and thanks to you, the world is indeed a better place. This article will express my love for meat, but I will also provide some relevant facts about an essential ingredient in Mexican cuisine that truly gives us our identity: pork. So please, stay with us just this one.
Pork in the Americas
Pork was introduced to the American continent in 1493 during Christopher Columbus’s second expedition. On that occasion, he arrived in what is now the Dominican Republic and Haiti with eight pigs.
Various subsequent expeditions, such as those made by the Spanish, French, and English, spread different varieties of pigs throughout the continent. Today, from Argentina to Canada, pork has played a significant role in feeding people. Each country and region has developed their own recipes and ways of enjoying this delicacy. For example, I’m thinking of a plate of pulled pork with a bun on the side and my mouth is starting to water.
Carnitas!
I don’t want to overwhelm you with a long list. I’d like to discuss a simple yet delicious dish: carnitas.
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The preparation is quite simple. Lard is melted in a large pot. Once it’s liquid (but not boiling), the cleaned and cubed pork is added — along with all the other parts of the pig, because in this country nothing goes to waste. Then, orange juice, a bulb of garlic, a variety of herbs, and salt are added. Some places also add Coca-Cola (secretly the most Mexican ingredient of them all) for flavor and color, and condensed milk to soften the meat. This mixture is left to cook for 3 hours or more until it becomes crispy and golden on the outside, and tender and pink on the inside.
When the carnitas are ready, you gather your family or friends. When everyone is at the table, put the carnitas at the center accompanied by a bunch of tortillas, limes, salsas, chopped cilantro, chopped onions, and pickled jalapeños. With all the confidence and informality the occasion allows, you dive into the tortillas and start making your taco. Grab your tortilla, carefully select your most desired pieces of carnitas, put salsa or jalapeños, cilantro, and onion and squeeze a lime. The lime juice will bring together all the flavors of your taco. Finally, lovingly close the tortilla and “provecho.”
The first Mexican dish?
Carnitas can be found all over the country, but the best ones are in the central states of Mexico. Michoacán is first, followed by Guanajuato, Estado de México, and Hidalgo. They all claim to be the originators and undoubtedly have the best recipes. Carnitas emerged almost simultaneously in these states, but there are no documents to prove who was the first to prepare and eat carnitas as we know them today.
The belief that carnitas are the first mestizo dish because they combine Spanish pork and pre-Hispanic tortillas is incorrect. According to early chronicles of the Spanish conquest, a banquet took place where pigs from Cuba and cornbread (how Spaniards referred to tortillas) were consumed separately. Despite this, hundreds of years later, in the book “Cocina Mexicana” (1967) by the Mexican writer Salvador Novo, he mentioned that carnitas tacos were served during this banquet. I have a deep love and respect for the writer, but it seems like he never read — or at least paid attention to — the chronicle as it does not mention carnitas tacos being served. This misconception has persisted to this day, and recently a senator urged people on social media not to eat carnitas tacos to avoid celebrating our Spanish heritage. Waaaaaaay too much, if you ask me.
In any case, whenever you encounter carnitas and an image like the one below, I highly recommend trying a carnitas taco. You’ll thank me later.
María Meléndez is a Mexico City food blogger and influencer.
You can’t list Michoacan as number one for carnitas without saying Quiroga, Michoacan is the #1 spot! An easy place to consume carnitas and shop the many artesian shops!
Agree! Although I live in Morelia and we have great carnitas here, I often jump on the bus for a day trip to Quiroga to eat the best carnitas in the world!
I wanted to come across as very professional and objective, but I have to confess that I’m completely biased when it comes to carnitas. My mom’s family is from a town near Morelia called Andocutín, and whenever we craved carnitas, we would go to Zinapécuro, Michoacán, which is about an hour from Morelia. In my opinion, the best carnitas in the world can be found in Zinapécuro. If you ever happen to visit this town, be sure to try ‘Las carnitas de Beto’ in front of the main market. Then let me know if they rival the ones from Quiroga, or if I’m just losing my mind.
One taste of carnitas in Quiroga and I was hooked. It’s like crack cocaine.
Can you purchase carnitas in PV? If so where.
Gracias
Lorne, I asked some friends for recommendations, and they suggested a couple of places! The first is ‘Tacos de Carnitas Gradilla’ located at Av. Francisco Villa 160, near the Sheraton. They warned me that you have to arrive before noon. The second is ‘Los Tacos de Carnitas’ on Calle Guatemala 560, and we were told the tortillas are made on the spot. We’d love to hear your opinion on either of these places.
What no recipe? Now I neeeeed to try make this at home!
Vanna, here’s the traditional recipe for Michoacán-style carnitas:
Ingredients for 10 servings:
– 250gr of maciza (boneless pork, such as leg or loin)
– 250gr of costillas (pork ribs)
– 250gr of pancita (pork belly)
– 250gr of cueritos (pork skin)
– 1/2 cup of pork lard
– 1/2 cup of cola soda (Coca-Cola)
– 1/2 cup of orange juice
– 1/4 of and orange.
– 2 or 3 garlic gloves.
– 1/4 of onion
Manojo de hierbas: bunch of herbs.
– 3 bay leaves
– 2 springs of dried thyme
– 1 sprig of dried oregano
– Salt to taste
Steps to make the most delicious carnitas:
1. Prepare the Meat:
– Cut the maciza, ribs, and pork belly into medium-sized pieces. Ensure the pork skin is clean and cut it into strips.
2. Melt the Lard:
– In a large pot or copper cauldron (if you have one), melt the pork lard over medium heat.
3. Cook the Meat:
– Once the lard is hot, add the maciza, ribs and the pork belly. These will take a bit longer to cook. When the meat starts turning brown, add the pork skin pieces. Let them brown slightly on all sides.
4. Add Flavor:
– Add the halved garlic head, orange quarter, bay leaves, thyme, and oregano to the pot. This will infuse the meat. Steps 3 and 4 should take about 40 minutes to 1 hour.
5. Slow Cooking:
– Reduce the heat to low and pour the cola soda and orange juice over the meat. This combination will help caramelize the meat and give it a unique flavor. If you want to skip the soda and stick with orange juice, you totally can; the flavor doesn’t vary much.
– Season with salt to taste. Keep in mind that the lard is already a bit salty, so add salt little by little. Cook the meat on low heat for about 1 to 1.5 hours, or until it is tender and juicy. Stir occasionally to ensure even cooking.
6. Crisping the Carnitas:
– Once the meat is tender, increase the heat to medium-high and let the meat crisp up in the lard for about 10 minutes. This will give it that crunchy exterior. Some people skip this step altogether to keep them a bit healthier.
7. Drain and Serve:
– Remove the meat from the pot and drain it well. Cut the meat into smaller pieces if necessary.
8. Enjoy:
– Serve the carnitas with corn tortillas, chopped onion, cilantro, green or red salsa, and a squeeze of lime.
If you’d like, we would love to see the result or at least hear about your experience preparing them.
Please tell us what is the best cut of pork for carnitas. What is it called in Spanish from a Mexican butcher?
Jorge, in my opinion, the essential parts are five: Maciza (lean, boneless meat), Costilla (ribs), Cueritos (skin, mixed with maciza, it makes one of the most popular tacos), Pork Belly (the most flavorful part), and Espaldilla (I’d say it’s the cut that best balances lean meat with fat). Personally, I would also go for Cabeza (head), but I know that’s not for everyone—it’s quite a shock to see it in the pot. If you make them, les us know how it went!
I loved this article and I love the emotions in all of the comments. What a great country we have to live in
Bradford, we are thrilled to be getting closer to achieving our main goal: to make ourselves enthusiastic about the country we live in!