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I’m back with another Mexican favorite – carnitas! I’ve made a lot of carnitas in my day. Naturally, I’ve experimented with many different cooking methods. In my opinion, this method is the best way to go. It’s a bit more labor intensive than some of the crockpot versions I’ve tried – you have to cut the meat into chunks and brown them really well before the slow braise. But the results are fantastic. Plus it’s a one-pot dish cooked entirely on the stove—no need to turn on the oven. So, are you ready to try this authentic stove-top carnitas recipe?
I make tacos with my carnitas and my recipe calls for all the fixings you will need for tacos. However, you can also use your carnitas to make burritos, burrito bowls, topping tortilla soup, etc. Serve your carnitas with homemade guacamole. Stay tuned for some ideas on how to use your carnitas leftovers!!
Why you will Love this Recipe
I like this recipe because it’s one pot dish that’s easy to prepare in advance. I speed up prep time by throwing the onion, garlic, and spices in my food processor (or blender). So no chopping. Most importantly, you get super-tender and flavorful meat. The carnitas will be nicely caramelized and crisp on the outside but they shred like a dream!
Ingredient Notes:
Pork: Carnitas are made with pork shoulder. There are two common cuts of pork shoulder widely available. Cuts from the top of the shoulder are known as “Boston Butt” while cuts from the lower shoulder are labeled as shoulder or “pork picnic.” This Cook’s Illustrated article provides further detail on the difference between the two cuts. I use both but I slightly prefer Boston Butt for carnitas. I often get a big bone-in one (8 to 10ish pounds) and chop it up into enough meat for two batches of carnitas – I told you we make a lot of carnitas.
Lard: For authentic carnitas, it’s best to use lard. You can buy it but I recommend learning how to render your own. Here is a great how-to post from The Daring Gourmet. And in case you hadn’t heard, it turns out natural saturated fats like lard are not actually terrible for you. For more on how badly we bungled dietary advice, read Good Calories, Bad Calories: Fats, Carbs, and the Controversial Science of Diet and Health by Gary Taubes.
Tortillas: We like white corn tortillas for carnitas. I warm them in a dry cast iron skillet (no oil) for about 30 seconds a side. Here is a Kitchn post on three different methods for warming tortillas.
The Fixings: I typically top my carnitas with finely chopped white onion and fresh chopped cilantro. I like to serve guacamole and a few lime wedges on the side as well. Other things you might want to try include jalapenos, pickled red onion, a little queso, or a little shredded cabbage. What do you like on your carnitas?
Pairings for Carnitas: Mexican rice or refried beans make fine sides for carnitas. If you wish to imbibe, try margaritas or beer!
Authentic Stove-Top Carnitas for Tacos (or Whatever you Like)
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 3.5 hours
- Total Time: 4 hours
- Yield: 6 to 8 servings 1x
- Cuisine: Mexican
Description
Carnitas Tacos are hard to beat. This meat is caramelized and crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Enjoy with your favorite taco fixings!
Ingredients
- 1 yellow onion, peeled and quartered
- 6 garlic cloves, peeled
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 3 teaspoons salt, divided
- 1.5 cups water
- 4 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into 2 to 3-inch chunks
- 3 tablespoons lard or olive oil*
- 1 orange, zest and juice
- 1 lime, zest and juice
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon honey
- white corn tortillas, warmed
- garnish: I use cilantro, diced white onion, and guacamole
Instructions
- Combine the onion, garlic, cumin, chili, cloves, thyme, 1 teaspoon of salt, and water in a food processor (or blender). Pulse and then blend until smooth.
- Generously salt the pork with the remaining salt (1 to 2 teaspoons should be plenty).
- Heat the lard in a large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in two batches, sear half of the pork until it is well browned on all sides (about 15 minutes total). Transfer the first batch of pork to a plate or bowl using a slotted spoon. Repeat with the second batch.
- Return all seared pork to the pot. Add the onion mixture and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add the juice and zest, bay leaf, and honey. Cover the pot and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer for about 2 and a half hours. Make sure to stir and turn the pork every 30 minutes or so. Remove the lid from the pot. The pork should be very tender and easy to shred at this point.
- Use a wooden spoon to break the chunks into smaller pieces. Cook another 30 minutes or so uncovered until most of the liquid has cooked away. Transfer the carnitas to a serving bowl and shred with a fork.
- Serve pork with warm tortillas, guacamole, and chopped cilantro and white onion.
Notes
We usually have pork lard around (rendered from pork fat). Here is a great post all about rendering lard. You can use olive oil too if you don’t have lard.
Keywords: carnita, pork shoulder, mexican
