Carnitas michoacanas

Name: Carnitas michoacanas
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 150 min
Total time: 170 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Mexico
Ingredients: 1.5 kg bone-in pork shoulder, cut into large 8cm chunks (skin on, if possible); 1 large orange, halved and squeezed (juice and the halved orange itself added to the pot); 4 cloves garlic, crushed and unpeeled; 3 bay leaves; 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano; 1 tsp ground cumin; 0.5 tsp ground black pepper; 250 ml whole milk or Coca-Cola (the latter gives a deeper caramelisation, both are traditional); 1.5 tsp salt; 2 tbsp lard or neutral oil (to start, the pork renders its own fat during cooking); To serve: warm corn tortillas, white onion finely diced, fresh coriander, salsa verde, lime wedges

Michoacán's great braised pork: slowly confited in its own fat with orange, garlic, and bay until it collapses into tender, crisped shreds: the orange unseen but essential, the soul of Mexico's most beloved taco filling

Origin: Mexico

From the journey of Orange.

Carnitas (literally 'little meats' in Spanish) is the defining preparation of Michoacán state in western Mexico; a preparation in which pork shoulder or leg is slow-cooked in a large copper cauldron (the traditional cazuela de cobre) in its own rendered lard, with orange juice, Coca-Cola or milk (depending on the tradition), garlic, bay, and spices, at a barely-simmering temperature for two to three hours until completely yielding, then raised to a high heat to crisp and colour the exterior. The orange is not visible in the finished carnitas: the juice caramelises against the pork fat during the long cooking and contributes a barely perceptible sweetness and complexity. Professional carnitas makers in Michoacán guard their proportions and timings as trade secrets. The home version, adapted from the copper-vat tradition, uses a heavy pot and produces results of extraordinary quality. Carnitas is the foundation of the taco de carnitas (served with raw white onion, fresh coriander, salsa verde, and lime in a warm corn tortilla) which is among the world's great sandwiches.

Ingredients

Meat

1.5 kg bone-in pork shoulder, cut into large 8cm chunks (skin on, if possible)

Orange

1 large orange, halved and squeezed (juice and the halved orange itself added to the pot)

Aromatics

4 cloves garlic, crushed and unpeeled
3 bay leaves
1 tsp dried Mexican oregano

Spices

1 tsp ground cumin
0.5 tsp ground black pepper

Liquid

250 ml whole milk or Coca-Cola (the latter gives a deeper caramelisation, both are traditional)

Seasoning

1.5 tsp salt

Fat

2 tbsp lard or neutral oil (to start, the pork renders its own fat during cooking)

To serve

To serve: warm corn tortillas, white onion finely diced, fresh coriander, salsa verde, lime wedges

Method

Season the pork chunks generously with salt. Heat the lard in a wide, heavy pot (Dutch oven or cast iron casserole) over medium-high heat. Brown the pork in batches until golden on all sides. Do not crowd the pot.
Once all the pork is browned and back in the pot, add the orange juice, orange halves (skin and all), garlic, bay leaves, oregano, cumin, pepper, and milk (or Coca-Cola). The liquid should come about one-third up the pork.
Bring to a boil, then reduce to the lowest possible simmer. Cook uncovered for 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours, turning the pork occasionally, until the pork is completely tender and most of the liquid has evaporated, leaving the pork sitting in rendered fat.
Once the liquid has evaporated and only fat remains, increase the heat to medium-high. Fry the pork pieces in the rendered fat for 10–15 minutes, turning occasionally, until crisp and deep golden on the exterior.
Remove the pork and shred roughly with two forks; not too fine. Taste for salt. The orange flavour should be subtly present in the background, a sweetness that is felt rather than tasted.
Serve in warm corn tortillas with finely diced white onion, fresh coriander, salsa verde, and lime wedges. The tortilla should be double-stacked, two small corn tortillas, one on top of the other, which is the traditional carnitas taco format.

Notes

The Coca-Cola in carnitas is not an accident or a modern shortcut; it reflects a specific Michoacán tradition that the acidic, caramel-sweet quality of the Cola helps tenderise the pork and contributes to the caramelisation of the exterior. The milk version (leche de vaca) is the older tradition, and the milk proteins caramelise in the fat to produce a slightly paler, more tender result. Both are authentic. The copper cauldron (cazuela de cobre) used by professional carnitas makers in Michoacán is considered essential to the authentic product: the copper conducts heat differently from stainless steel, producing a more even, gentle cooking. In Michoacán's market towns; Quiroga, Uruapan; the morning carnitas vendors are a pilgrimage destination.

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Ingredient originTrade or transit route

Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control