🇲🇽 Mexico · Mexican
Michoacán Carnitas Tacos
Pork shoulder confited in its own fat until spoonable, then crisped. Pickled onion and salsa verde do the rest.
- Time
- 3 hr 30 min
- Serves
- 8
- Difficulty
- medium
- Rating
- 4.9 (1,877)
- dairy-free
- gluten-free
Why this dish works
Michoacán carnitas are cooked in copper cazos the size of a bathtub. The orange and milk that go in near the end sound strange and are non-negotiable — sugars that caramelise into the crust.
Method
- 1
Render gently
Melt the lard in a heavy pot, add the pork, salt, bay and oregano. The fat should just cover the meat.
- 2
Confit
Cook at the lowest possible simmer for 2 hours 30 minutes. No bubbling, only the occasional blip.
- 3
Add the sugars
Squeeze in the orange, drop the halves in, and pour in the milk. Cook 20 minutes more.
- 4
Crisp
Raise the heat and let the meat fry in the fat for 10 minutes until edges are lacquered and crunchy.
- 5
Shred and serve
Shred coarsely, pile onto warm tortillas, top with pickled onion, coriander and salsa verde.
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