Pork Shank Carnitas Platter Recipe - Home Chef (2024)

FAQs

What's carnitas in English? ›

Carnitas, literally meaning "little meats", is a dish of Mexican cuisine that originated in the state of Michoacán. Carnitas are made by braising or simmering pork in oil or preferably lard until tender.

Carnitas — which means "little meats" in Spanish — is a Mexican pork dish. An inexpensive, heavily marbled cut of pork, such as boneless Boston butt, pork shoulder or picnic ham, is braised or simmered for several hours with seasonings and lard until it is so tender that is can be shredded.

Legend has it that carnitas originated in Michoacan, which is a state in west-central Mexico. However, others believe carnitas come from Jalisco, Queretaro, Hidalgo, or Mexico State. While the roots are uncertain, the dish is enthusiastically enjoyed all over Mexico.

Serve with your favorite fixings – rice, beans, sautéed onions and peppers, corn, salsa, cheese, sour cream, lettuce, avocado or guacamole, lime, cilantro, tortillas, chips…it doesn't need all the adornment, but it sure is good!

Carnitas are so versatile, you can fill any burrito, taco, quesadilla OR use them as a topping for Nachos! Include them in a salad like this Chipotle Carnitas Salad! Serve them with the typical onion/cilantro topping typically seen served on Mexican food trucks OR a good Guacamole or Pico De Gallo!

Carnitas is Mexico's version of pulled pork, slow cooked in lard (pork confit) with traditional Mexican flavors. When done right, this dish is juicy & tender on the inside, and crispy on the outside.

Carnitas is associated with festive occasions, and it's usually consumed during weekends, particularly on Sundays, the traditional “mercado”, or marketplace, day in Mexico. Carnitas vendors are a common, some would even say indispensable, sight at any tianguis (another word for marketplace!) in all states.

Pork Carnitas Seasoning

Pork shoulder is extra flavorful thanks to kosher salt, a chopped onion, fresh garlic, lime juice, chili powder, dried oregano, and ground cumin.

Carnitas are essentially a type of pulled pork! It is not the traditional American pulled pork most people think of – with barbecue sauce and served on hamburger buns. But it is a shredded cut of pork all the same! Carnitas are a Mexican style pulled pork.

What state is known for carnitas? ›

It is said that pork was introduced in Mexico by the Spanish, and one of the most emblematic dishes that we have in Mexico is called “carnitas,” which originated in the state of Michoacan, but is now prepared in different ways depending on the region of Mexico where you eat them.

Why Do You Put Orange Juice in Carnitas? The orange juice in the cooking liquid provides acidity that helps break down the meat so it's extra tender and juicy. It also adds a hint of citrus flavor that perfectly compliments the slow cooker pork.

In 2015, Chipotle stopped serving carnitas in many locations due to concerns about the quality of pork used by one of its suppliers. The supplier was not meeting Chipotle's standards for animal welfare, and the company decided to suspend the use of carnitas until it could find a new supplier that met its standards.

Try serving your carnitas with roasted or smoked vegetables like sweet potatoes, peppers and onions for something more unexpected. The sweetness of these veggies pairs well with the salty, savory flavor of the pork.

However, creamy tex-mex sauce is what I love to put on top of my pork carnitas tacos and pork carnitas sliders. It's such a great combination of a little spice with a lot of flavor, and I found it to be really great with the insanely delicious flavors of the tacos.