Uploaded May 2021 | Updated September 2026, 12 hours ago
One really popular item I used to offer at the restaurant I operated was carnitas, which is essentially pork confited in its own fat. In order to make some at home, the best thing is to get some actual rendered pork lard from your butcher. The lard sold at the grocery store in bricks for baking has been extensively processed and a lot of flavor removed; that said, if it is the best option, it will work. If you are making a really large batch of carnitas it might be possible to render out the fat you need if you choose really fatty cuts of pork to work with, such as belly. Traditionally, all parts of the pig are used. So choose whatever appeals to you, but avoid tenderloin as there is no point in making carnitas with it.
At the restaurant, in order to keep things simple and to keep possible allergy concerns to a minimum, we really did just confit the meat in lard, without any aromatics. All seasoning and flavor was added to the meat after that process, in order to keep things separate until the very end. But when cooking at home such rigor is not required, and it will be easier to get a finished product in fewer steps using a modified method. After some research, this recipe is what I am suggesting for anyone who’d like to make carnitas for the first time, as a way to start out and a basis to experiment from.
This is excellent left over. The fat will make a thin coating on the meat chunks, helping to keep them moist inside. Be sure to reserve the strained, leftover fat from the cooking process, and use it the next time you want some carnitas. It will be somewhat aromatized by the cooking process, but could still be used for some other purposes as well, such as frying tostadas, making tamales, etc.
Makes enough for 6-8 people, about 2 lb.
Equipment:
• everything we’ll need
• normally don’t list knife or cutting board, for some reason
Ingredients:
2 1/2 lb pork shoulder also belly, loin, rib, hocks, etc.
1 lb pork lard manteca de cerdo
1 ea orange juice and strips of zest
1-2 ea onion sliced 1/2” thick
2-6 cloves garlic
1-2 leaves bay broken into large pieces
1 cup chicken stock or water or other liquid
Procedure:
1. Get the lard hot over a medium-hot fire. I use the 370F setting on my induction stovetop.
2. Cut the pork into large “stewing” pieces, about 2”, but not 2” cubes.
3. Place the pork into the hot oil. It should fry like chicken.
4. Allow the pork to fry for about 30 minutes. Depending on the efficiency of the cooking arrangement, it may brown all over or only on the bottom. If browned only on the bottom, turn the pieces and give them up to another 30 minutes to brown some more. Otherwise move on to the next step.
5. Add the onion, garlic, bay leaf, orange zest, orange juice and other liquid. In Mexican home cooking, evaporated milk and Coke are used, but having tried it myself, I am not sure why. I think that chicken stock, or even water, is preferable as it makes cleanup much easier.
6. Allow the liquid to boil off over 30 minutes to 1 hour more. It may be advisable to reduce the heat at this point. I switch my induction cooktop from temperature mode to power mode at this point and reduce output to around 30 – 40%
7. Once the liquid has finished boiling off, strain the cubes of meat and they are ready to serve, or to cool and store.
Music: bensound.com/royalty-free-music
One really popular item I used to offer at the restaurant I operated was carnitas, which is essentially pork confited in its own fat. In order to make some at home, the best thing is to get some actual rendered pork lard from your butcher. The lard sold at the grocery store in bricks for baking has been extensively processed and a lot of flavor removed; that said, if it is the best option, it will work. If you are making a really large batch of carnitas it might be possible to render out the fat you need if you choose really fatty cuts of pork to work with, such as belly. Traditionally, all parts of the pig are used. So choose whatever appeals to you, but avoid tenderloin as there is no point in making carnitas with it.
At the restaurant, in order to keep things simple and to keep possible allergy concerns to a minimum, we really did just confit the meat in lard, without any aromatics. All seasoning and flavor was added to the meat after that process, in order to keep things separate until the very end. But when cooking at home such rigor is not required, and it will be easier to get a finished product in fewer steps using a modified method. After some research, this recipe is what I am suggesting for anyone who’d like to make carnitas for the first time, as a way to start out and a basis to experiment from.
This is excellent left over. The fat will make a thin coating on the meat chunks, helping to keep them moist inside. Be sure to reserve the strained, leftover fat from the cooking process, and use it the next time you want some carnitas. It will be somewhat aromatized by the cooking process, but could still be used for some other purposes as well, such as frying tostadas, making tamales, etc.
Makes enough for 6-8 people, about 2 lb.
Equipment:
• everything we’ll need
• normally don’t list knife or cutting board, for some reason
Ingredients:
2 1/2 lb pork shoulder also belly, loin, rib, hocks, etc.
1 lb pork lard manteca de cerdo
1 ea orange juice and strips of zest
1-2 ea onion sliced 1/2” thick
2-6 cloves garlic
1-2 leaves bay broken into large pieces
1 cup chicken stock or water or other liquid
Procedure:
1. Get the lard hot over a medium-hot fire. I use the 370F setting on my induction stovetop.
2. Cut the pork into large “stewing” pieces, about 2”, but not 2” cubes.
3. Place the pork into the hot oil. It should fry like chicken.
4. Allow the pork to fry for about 30 minutes. Depending on the efficiency of the cooking arrangement, it may brown all over or only on the bottom. If browned only on the bottom, turn the pieces and give them up to another 30 minutes to brown some more. Otherwise move on to the next step.
5. Add the onion, garlic, bay leaf, orange zest, orange juice and other liquid. In Mexican home cooking, evaporated milk and Coke are used, but having tried it myself, I am not sure why. I think that chicken stock, or even water, is preferable as it makes cleanup much easier.
6. Allow the liquid to boil off over 30 minutes to 1 hour more. It may be advisable to reduce the heat at this point. I switch my induction cooktop from temperature mode to power mode at this point and reduce output to around 30 – 40%
7. Once the liquid has finished boiling off, strain the cubes of meat and they are ready to serve, or to cool and store.
Music: bensound.com/royalty-free-music
