Michoacán Carnitas
Pork shoulder confited low and slow in its own lard with orange, garlic, and bay — the Michoacán copper-cazo method scaled to a Dutch oven. The meat turns silky inside and fries crisp at the edges in the final minutes.
- Time
- 3 hr
- Heat
- Yield
- 16 tacos
- Region
- Michoacán
Ingredients
Carnitas
To build
Per-100g nutrition (10 ingredients verified)
| Ingredient | kcal | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pork lard | 902 | 0 g | 100 g | 0 g |
| Whole milk | 62 | 3.3 g | 3.3 g | 5 g |
| Garlic cloves, smashed | 100 | 0 g | 0 g | 20 g |
| Bay leaves | 0 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g |
| Mexican oregano | 0 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g |
| Kosher salt | 0 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g |
| Corn tortillas | 188 | 3.1 g | 1.6 g | 40.6 g |
| White onion, finely diced | 29 | 1.2 g | 0 g | 7.1 g |
| Cilantro, chopped | 23 | 2.1 g | 0.5 g | 3.7 g |
| Salsa verde | 31 | 0 g | 0 g | 6.3 g |
Values are per 100 g of the listed ingredient. Nutrition data: USDA FoodData Central (snapshot 2026-09-11). Ingredients without a verified match are omitted.
Method
Season the pork chunks all over with salt while the lard melts in a Dutch oven or cazo over medium heat.
Slide in the pork with the garlic, bay, and oregano, then squeeze in the orange halves and drop them in — the lard should just about cover the meat.
Pour in the milk and hold the pot at a lazy bubble, uncovered, until the pork is completely fork-tender, about 2 hours.
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Raise the heat and fry the chunks in the bubbling lard, turning gently, until the edges are deep golden and crackly, about 15 minutes.
Lift the carnitas onto a board, let them drain a moment, then chop coarsely so every scoop gets soft strands and crisp bits.
Warm the tortillas on a comal, pile on the carnitas, and finish with onion, cilantro, salsa verde, and a hard squeeze of lime.
Build the plate
Round it out
Recommended Cookware & Gear
Cast Iron Round Comal (10.5")
Essential for blistering tortillas and charring chiles evenly.
Heavy Duty Cast Iron Tortilla Press (8")
Engineered leverage for uniform, paper-thin corn masa discs.
Volcanic Stone Molcajete (8.5")
Basalt texture shears cell walls for superior salsa emulsions.
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