Name: Carnitas Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 180 min
Ingredients: 6 to 8 Lbs of boneless pork shoulder (cut into 2 to 3 inch size chunks); 2 Lbs of lard; 4 Cloves of garlic; 2 Bay leafs; 2 Tablespoons of salt; 1 Large orange (cut in half); 1 Tablespoon of dried oregano; 12 oz Can of evaporated milk; 1 bottle of Mexican coca-cola; 2 Cups of water

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I know I’m not alone in saying that carnitas are absolutely amazing. They’re juicy, tender, and full of that great porky flavor. However, I have always struggled to make truly great carnitas at home. And trust me I’ve tried out a lot of carnitas recipes, they just never really stood up to what I could get at my local taqueria. But that all changed when I discovered the method for making carnitas that we are going to be using today.

You see the problem with most carnitas recipes is they try to cut corners for the sake of making them “healthy”. And what I mean by that is most tend to leave out the lard. Which look, I get it, for most people that have never cooked with lard before (like myself), it sort of has a reputation. But you need to understand two things. One, lard isn’t as unhealthy as you think it is. And, two, in order to make truly great carnitas that are both tasty and tender, YOU NEED TO USE LARD.

So please toss out any preconceived notions you might have about lard and use it!

Now as I said today’s recipe for carnitas is a tried and true method that many people have used before. And while the measurements and amounts for this recipe are my own I would be lying if I said that this method is my own invention. So if you want to see where I got the inspiration for today’s recipe then check out the links I have provided at the bottom of this page.

That being said this is quite possibly one of the weirdest recipes I have ever made. It starts off fairly simply by frying up chunks of pork in a pool of lard. But then we add ingredients like orange, coca-cola, evaporated milk, and even water….. Straight into the LARD!!!! And we continue to cook the pork in this simmering liquid of lard, coca-cola, and evaporated milk until the chunks are tender. It’s absolutely crazy and sounds like something that should never work. But trust me, leave any doubts you have at the door and give this recipe a try. It is spot on and hands down the best carnitas I have ever had. So if you’re ready then let’s get to it!

Tips, Tricks & Suggestions

What type of pork should I use for your carnitas? Well, In theory, you can use just about any cut of pork, but if you want the best results shoot for a cut that is high in fat content. The best examples of this are pork shoulder or pork butt.
Can I use something other than lard? No, you can’t. I’m being completely honest here if you don’t plan on using lard, then don’t make this carnitas recipe. Not only will it result in the taste being completely off, but we are going to be adding liquids to the lard. And if you end up frying your pork in regular old oil and add the liquids like coca-cola and water then you are probably going to start a house fire. So please DON’T USE OIL!!!! USE LARD!!!!!
Do you really need to use a Mexican coke for this recipe? Yes! You see the coke we have here in the U.S. uses high fructose corn syrup, while Mexican coke uses cane sugar. And that cane sugar is the key ingredient. So if you can’t find a Mexican coke then I suggest subbing it out with a tablespoon of turbinado sugar and an extra cup of water.
I love using this carnitas meat to make some street tacos. And of course, if you want to make tacos then you are going to need some salsa. So check out some of our salsa recipes like salsa roja, and salsa verde.

Carnitas Recipe

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 3 to 4 hours

Servings: 12 to 16

Ingredients

6 to 8 Lbs of boneless pork shoulder, cut into 2 to 3 inch size chunks

2 Lbs of lard

4 Cloves of garlic

2 Bay leafs

2 Tablespoons of salt

1 Large orange, cut in half

1 Tablespoon of dried oregano

12 oz Can of evaporated milk

1 bottle of Mexican coca-cola

2 Cups of water

Instructions

Fry the pork: Get out a large thick-walled pot and melt the lard in it. Then add the chunks of pork meat and let them fry undisturbed for 10 to 15 minutes. Then stir and flip the chunks of pork and let them fry again for another 10 to 15 minutes. At this point, you should notice that some of the pork is starting to brown up a little.

Add the remaining ingredients: Reduce the heat to medium-low. Then squeeze the juice of the orange into the pot and toss in the rinds. Next toss in the garlic, bay leaves, oregano, and salt. And finally pour in the evaporated milk, coca-cola, and water and mix everything together. Now at this point, I should note that everything will look pretty gross, but trust me this is going to turn out amazing.

Let everything simmer for 2 to 3 hours or until the chunks of pork are easily pierces by a fork.

Pull & Chop up the meat: Remove the chunks of pork from the pot and place them on a cutting board. At this point, you have two options. You can painstakingly to pull apart all of the pieces of the pork into shreds. Or you can simply use a knife to cut it up into small pieces. I prefer to use the knife method because the meat should be tender enough that it falls apart and shreds itself under the pressure of the knife.

(optional) Fry up the carnitas for texture: At this point, the carnitas meat is ready to eat. But if you want a little bit of crunchy texture then I recommend you pan fry them real quick. To do this simply get out a pan, toss in the carnitas meat and cook over medium-high heat for a couple of minutes.

Plate up your pork carnitas with some rice and beans or do as I do and use the meat to make wonderful carnitas tacos. Enjoy!

Print Recipe

Carnitas Recipe

Prep Time10

Cook Time3

Servings: 14

Ingredients

6 to 8 Lbs of boneless pork shoulder cut into 2 to 3 inch size chunks
2 Lbs of lard
4 Cloves of garlic
2 Bay leafs
2 Tablespoons of salt
1 Large orange cut in half
1 Tablespoon of dried oregano
12 oz Can of evaporated milk
1 bottle of Mexican coca-cola
2 Cups of water

Instructions

Fry the pork: Get out a large thick-walled pot and melt the lard in it. Then add the chunks of pork meat and let them fry undisturbed for 10 to 15 minutes. Then stir and flip the chunks of pork and let them fry again for another 10 to 15 minutes. At this point, you should notice that some of the pork is starting to brown up a little.
Add the remaining ingredients: Reduce the heat to medium-low. Then squeeze the juice of the orange into the pot and toss in the rinds. Next toss in the garlic, bay leaves, oregano, and salt. And finally pour in the evaporated milk, coca-cola, and water and mix everything together. Now at this point, I should note that everything will look pretty gross, but trust me this is going to turn out amazing.
Let everything simmer for 2 to 3 hours or until the chunks of pork are easily pierces by a fork.
Pull & Chop up the meat: Remove the chunks of pork from the pot and place them on a cutting board. At this point, you have two options. You can painstakingly to pull apart all of the pieces of the pork into shreds. Or you can simply use a knife to cut it up into small pieces. I prefer to use the knife method because the meat should be tender enough that it falls apart and shreds itself under the pressure of the knife.
(optional) Fry up the carnitas for texture: At this point, the carnitas meat is ready to eat. But if you want a little bit of crunchy texture then I recommend you pan fry them real quick. To do this simply get out a pan, toss in the carnitas meat and cook over medium-high heat for a couple of minutes.
Plate up your pork carnitas with some rice and beans or do as I do and use the meat to make wonderful carnitas tacos. Enjoy!