Guide · Tacos · Pork
What Are Carnitas? Michoacán's Slow-Cooked Pork, Part by Part
At a proper carnitas stand you order by the part of the pig. Maciza is lean, buche is stomach, and surtida gets you a bit of everything. The pig below shows where each one comes from.
Small pieces of pork, cooked in the pig's own lard. That's the Larousse Cocina definition, and it adds that Michoacán is considered the place where they were invented and are still done right. The word means little meats, which undersells a copper pot full of pork, sold by the kilo, especially on Sundays.
| Ask for | What it is | What it's like |
|---|---|---|
| 1Maciza | Lean meat: loin, leg, shoulder | Boneless, mildest and driest. Larousse calls it the finest. |
| 2Chamorro | Leg | Some fat in each bite, juicier than maciza. |
| 3Costilla | Rib meat | Pulled off the bone, tender and juicy. |
| 4Pancita | Belly | An even mix of meat and fat. Discover Baja calls it the perfect cut. |
| 5Cuerito | Skin | Thick and soft, with some chew. It isn't chicharrón, which is the fried, crunchy skin. |
| 6Trompa | Snout and face | Rich and gelatinous. Ask for it chopped fine. |
| 7Oreja | Ear | Chewy, with edible cartilage. |
| 8Lengua | Tongue | Tender and tasty. A taquero may set some aside for regulars. |
| 9Buche | Stomach | Fatty, a little gelatinous. Aficionados go for this. |
| 10Nana | Uterus | Tender and subtle. Mixed with buche, it's called nenepil. |
Did Cortés invent carnitas?
Probably not. The tale you'll see repeated says Hernán Cortés served pork at a feast in Coyoacán after the fall of Tenochtitlan in 1521. Mexico News Daily says that origin story is only that, a story, and thinks it unlikely that the meal resembled carnitas. The credit goes to Michoacán, and most often the town of Quiroga, which calls itself the World Capital of Carnitas. No one can give you a year.
The solid part is that pork isn't native. The Spanish brought pigs to the Caribbean and then to Mexico, and Cortés had them established in the Toluca valley by 1525. Michoacán's other ingredient was already there: copper work in the state goes back to the Purépecha, and the pots still come from Santa Clara del Cobre.
How are carnitas made?
Mexico News Daily's account of Quiroga is specific. Cooks there use pigs under five months old, fed only on corn. The pieces sear first, then simmer in lard between 194 and 212°F for three to four hours, which keeps the meat soft inside. Discover Baja gives slightly different numbers for the same idea, with two pots: a hard seal at 350 to 375°F, then about 195°F for 2 to 2.5 hours. Every family and stand has its own version. Discover Baja says the copper cooks the meat evenly and is said to add flavor.
Cooks often compare the method to French confit, and it's the same basic idea: meat cooked gently under fat. Larousse writes "fried," and you'll see that everywhere, but there's a lot of slow simmering first and a crisp finish at the end.
Carnitas against the other pork
| Dish | From | How it's cooked | How it ends up |
|---|---|---|---|
| CarnitasOn our menu | Michoacán | Pieces simmered in lard for hours, often in a copper pot | Soft inside, browned edges, on corn tortillas |
| Pulled pork | Southern US | Shoulder with a dry rub, slow-smoked over wood | Shredded by hand and mixed with sauce, on bread |
| Cochinita pibil | Yucatán Peninsula | Rubbed with red achiote paste, traditionally cooked underground | Shredded, with pickled red onion |
| Al pastorOn our menu | Mexico, with Lebanese roots | Marinated slices on a vertical spit | Shaved thin, with pineapple |
| ChicharrónOn our menu | Across Mexico | Skin salted, air-dried for days, then fried | Crunchy |
The one people mix up is cuerito and chicharrón. Cuerito is the skin soft, straight out of the pot. Chicharrón takes days: Larousse describes the skin being scraped, scored, salted and left to air-dry for two or three days before it ever hits the fat.
What goes on the taco?
The usual way is in a taco: warm corn tortilla, pork, onion, cilantro, salsa and lime. Discover Baja adds pickled white onion, pickled carrot, pickled jalapeño and shaved radish, and it's right that you want them, since the acid cuts the fat. In Mexico this is often a Sunday meal and the center of a family celebration. Jalisco also puts carnitas in a torta ahogada, the sandwich drowned in sauce. If you're new to a stand, ask for maciza with a bit of pancita or cuerito chopped in. Plain maciza is the mildest order and the driest. The fat is what you came for. Discover Baja's writer says the aficionados just order a mix, and we think they're right.
Ours, next to a Quiroga pot
Our menu describes ours as slow-braised pork, crisped to order, onion & cilantro. It doesn't mention lard or copper, so ask your server if that matters to you. For a Sunday tour of the whole pig, go to Michoacán. For a plate of tacos and a margarita with a DJ going, come up.
The pork we have on now:
Tacos: Three corn tortilla tacos per order, with creamy zucchini sauce, chile de árbol sauce, onion, cilantro & lime. Flour tortillas +2.
There are 5 tacos on the list altogether. See them all, or compare with carne asada.
Carnitas questions
What does carnitas mean?
Little meats, in Spanish. In Mexico it means pork cut into pieces and cooked slowly in its own lard.
What part of the pig is carnitas?
Almost all of it. Maciza, the lean meat from the loin or leg, is the part most Americans expect. A stand may also sell rib, belly, skin, stomach, tongue and more. Surtida, or mixto, gets you some of everything.
What's the difference between carnitas and pulled pork?
Carnitas cook in lard, in pieces, and finish with browned edges. Pulled pork is American barbecue: a shoulder with a dry rub, slow-smoked over wood, shredded and mixed with sauce.
What's the difference between carnitas and al pastor?
Carnitas are simmered in fat with little seasoning. Al pastor is marinated in chile and spices, then shaved off a vertical spit, usually with pineapple.
Are carnitas spicy?
No. Pork, lard and salt have no heat, so that part is up to your salsa.
Are carnitas fried?
More simmered than fried. The Larousse dictionary does say fried in lard, but cooks in Quiroga keep the pot at about 200°F for hours, closer to what the French call confit. The outside still ends up crisp.
What do you serve with carnitas?
Warm corn tortillas, salsa, lime, onion and cilantro. Pickled onion, carrot or jalapeño and shaved radish help too, because the acid cuts through the fat.
Do you serve carnitas at Cantina Rooftop?
Yes. Slow-braised pork, crisped to order, onion & cilantro. $19 an order. See our tacos.
