Carnitas ~ Little Pieces of Browned Pork

Here it is, my all-time favorite Mexican dish. If I could choose only one Mexican dish to eat, this would be it ~ hands down.



I first tasted Carnitas over 30 (!) years ago at a little roadside restaurant in Mexico. On a very warm summer afternoon we pulled into the dusty parking lot where an enormous cauldron was bubbling furiously, suspended over an open wood fire.We quickly walked past the heat of the fire into the cool, darkened dining room.




I had no idea what treats would be in store for us as we took our seats against the wall. The specialty of the house was Carnitas, we were urged to order them...
but just what they were I did not know.

First our icy cold beverages arrived and soon after a large basket of hot, handmade flour tortillas were delivered to our table with a huge platter of little pieces of browned pork. Generous piles of cilantro, sliced avocados, thinly sliced radishes, scallions and sliced onions were arranged at one end of the platter. A large bowl of the best fresh (uncooked salsa) I had ever tasted was set beside the platter. A warm tortilla, succulent little pieces of browned pork and whatever condiments desired wrapped in a fresh, warm homemade tortilla? Heaven! :)I was determined to recreate this delicious meal at home... but how to prepare the meat?
Was it roasted? Fried? Did that enormous cauldron out in front of the cantina play a part in producing these delicious morsels? How was it seasoned?? At the time it was mystery to me, but I knew I HAD to have that recipe.I was on a mission to find out, my Spanish was abysmal so it was futile to ask the proprietors of the cafe. Keep in mind that this was years and years ago, before PCs were household fixtures, so I scoured the library's cookbooks... and learned about a British woman, Diana Kennedy. A remarkable person who embraced the culture and foods Mexico with great passion. She had moved there years before and had made it her life's work to delve into all of the varied cuisines of Mexico and share them with the rest of us.There it was... in her book "The Cuisines of Mexico" THE recipe for Carnitas.And I was so surprised to learn how simple the recipe actually is.Small pieces of pork (not too lean), simmered in lightly salted water until the water evaporates and the pork just tender. The pork is allowed to brown gently in the accumulated juices until slightly crisp on the outside and fall apart tender.
Sometimes I use pork shoulder, but recently country-style pork ribs were on sale so I used those ~ and actually prefer them, instead of dealing with a huge hunk of pork. The ribs are easy to cut into the proper size for this dish, without a lot of handling of raw pork ~ if that sort of thing makes you queasy.I have made carnitas countless times over the years for family and friends, they make a wonderful dish for a casual party. I keep the meat on a warming plate (or you could use a slow cooker, with the lid askew so the meat doesn't steam), and warm flour tortillas alongside. I offer a few of bowls of fresh salsa, guacamole, sour cream, and plates of sliced radishes, cilantro, sliced avocado, and shredded cabbage or lettuce, so each person can assemble their own ~ it's a fun food to serve (and eat!) I have a few of her books, but if I could have only one of hers, I would choose either this one... Or this one, (her most recent):


From My Mexican Kitchen: Techniques and Ingredients, by Diana Kennedy

Diana's are the most authentic, concise and comprehensive Mexican cookbooks written in the English language that I have found. I've given them as gifts to several cooks I know through the years and they have the same feelings about her cookbooks.The recipes are clearly written, and easy to follow. They are packed with essential information on making your own authentic Mexican food; ingredient explanations & descriptions, recipes for appetizers, soups, salsas, guacamole, beans, rice, seafood, meats, chicken, desserts, breads, and desserts, etc.If you would like a printable copy of Diana's recipe for Carnitas, please click HERE to find it on my recipe blog.Thank you for stopping by, I hope you have a wonderful day!