Carnitas De Puerco is a Mexican-style recipe for pulled pork. It is a many-sided dish that you can serve in a myriad of ways. You can use it as a salad, as a filling for tacos, or even as a topping. After everything, they can also be served as a main course dish. If you want to try it at home because it is one of your favorite recipes, you are in the right place. So let’s see what it takes to make this at home. in this blog, I will share with you a Carnitas De Puerco Recipe that is extremely delicious.
The Secret to Carnitas De Puerco Recipe
Carnitas De Puerco is an amazing recipe that has the perfect crisp outside with a tenderness filled inside. Its exotic taste is due to the seasonings and meat tenderizer that together creates a whole another level of delicious experience. For an authentic taste, try to use pork lard. It may be difficult to find but guarantee you the original flavor of the recipe. While the original version of Carnitas De Puerco has only a few ingredients in it, some variations are also available according to the taste of different people and regions. You are also free to do any variations per your taste buds.
Ingredients for Carnitas De Puerco Recipe
Let’s see what ingredients are needed to make Carnitas De Puerco.
Traditional Style
- Lard = 2 oz (¼ cup)
- Pork shoulder = 3 lbs
- Water = 7 cups
- Peeled garlic cloves = 6
- Salt = 1 tbsp
Modern Style
- Pork shoulder = 2-½ lbs
- Chicken stock = 1 cup
- Bay leaves = 2
- Lard = 1 lb
- Coca-cola = 1 cup
- Kosher salt = 3 tsp
- White onion = 1
- Large garlic cloves = 5
- Orange = 1, large
- Milk = 14 oz, can be sweet, condensed
Steps Involved in Making Carnitas De Puerco
Traditional Style
Step 1
Rinse and cut the pork shoulder into medium-sized chunks. Add it to a large pot with garlic cloves, water, salt, and lard. Cook on a medium flame while keeping the pot covered.
Step 2
Lessen the flame to medium-low and cook until the pork is tender.
Step 3
Reduce the water level on a high flame with the pot uncovered. When water content becomes low, pork will begin to fry in lard and fat.
Step 4
Keep frying until the pork is crispy and brown. It will take 15 minutes.
Step 5
Grate the pork with forks a little. Traditional style Carnitas De Puerco is ready. Serve it however you wish.
Modern Style
Step 1
Sprinkle the salt over the pieces of pork and refrigerate it for 2 hours before cooking.
Step 2
Preheat pork lard for ten minutes on medium-low heat in an oven.
Step 3
Place the pork pieces on the tray containing lard with enough space between them. Cook on medium heat so that the lard keeps bubbling. Cook for half an hour and repeat the same for the other side after flipping.
Step 4
Add all the remaining ingredients. Bring to a simmer and cook for another 90 minutes.
Step 5
Dish out the pork pieces and grate with forks a little. Modern style Carnitas De Puerco is ready.
FAQs
What portion of pork can you use for Carnitas De Puerco?
The best portion of pork for this recipe is pork shoulder. Although every part of the shoulder can be used including loin and legs. But the best option is to use the shoulder.
Is Carnitas De Puerco healthy?
It has a lot of saturated fat which is unhealthy. You can eat it occasionally but not regularly. If you are a cardiac patient, better avoid it.
Does Carnitas De Puerco have a lot of spices?
Traditional Carnitas De Puerco is not spicy but you can always add a hot sauce or seasonings and chili to mold its flavor according to your preference.
What is the best texture for Carnitas De Puerco?
The best Carnitas De Puerco is tender inside and crispy on the outside.
Conclusion
To wrap up, while this mouth-watering dish is simple to make and can be used in several different ways and combined with a lot of other dishes, as a main course as well as a side dish, it is not recommended to eat it regularly even if you are a big fan. Because an excess of everything can prove to be bad. So do enjoy this delicious recipe but only a few times a year.
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Carnitas De Puerco Recipe
Ingredients
Traditional Style
- 2 oz Lard (¼ cup)
- 3 lbs Pork shoulder
- 7 cups Water
- 6 Peeled garlic cloves
- 1 tbsp Salt
Modern Style
- 2-½ lbs Pork shoulder
- 1 cup Chicken stock
- 2 Bay leaves
- 1 lb Lard
- 1 cup Coca-cola
- 3 tsp Kosher salt
- 1 White onion
- 5 Large garlic cloves
- 1 large Orange
- 14 oz Milk (can be sweet, condensed)
Instructions
Traditional Style
- Rinse and cut the pork shoulder into medium-sized chunks. Add it to a large pot with garlic cloves, water, salt, and lard. Cook on a medium flame while keeping the pot covered.
- Lessen the flame to medium-low and cook until the pork is tender.
- Reduce the water level on a high flame with the pot uncovered. When water content becomes low, pork will begin to fry in lard and fat.
- Keep frying until the pork is crispy and brown. It will take 15 minutes.
- Grate the pork with forks a little. Traditional style Carnitas De Puerco is ready. Serve it however you wish.
Modern Style
- Sprinkle the salt over the pieces of pork and refrigerate it for 2 hours before cooking.
- Preheat pork lard for ten minutes on medium-low heat in an oven.
- Place the pork pieces on the tray containing lard with enough space between them. Cook on medium heat so that the lard keeps bubbling. Cook for half an hour and repeat the same for the other side after flipping.
- Add all the remaining ingredients. Bring to a simmer and cook for another 90 minutes.
- Dish out the pork pieces and grate with forks a little. Modern style Carnitas De Puerco is ready.
