History

Carnitas is a colonial Mexican dish with origins in Michoacan, where pork was confit in lard in massive copper cazos. The Jalisco-style carnitas tapatio adds milk and orange peel to the cooking liquid, softening the pork and adding a slightly sweet caramelised note. The technique is widely practiced across Guadalajara fondas; El Carnal in Tlaquepaque, Casa Fuerte and Los Famosos Equipales serve canonical Tapatio versions. The Sunday-lunch tradition is buying carnitas by the kilo from a local fonda and bringing home tortillas, salsa verde and chopped onion.

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Common allergens: Wheat (tortilla)

Make it at home

Yield 6Hands-on 30 minTotal 3 hrDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • 1.5 kg pork shoulder, cut in 4 cm chunks
  • 200 g pork lard (or rendered duck fat)
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 cup orange juice (with peel)
  • 1 white onion, halved
  • 6 garlic cloves
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • Corn tortillas, salsa verde, chopped onion, cilantro and lime for serving

Method

  1. Heat the lard in a heavy pot with the milk, orange juice and peel, onion, garlic, bay leaves, oregano, cumin and salt.
  2. Add the pork chunks, bring to a simmer, cover and cook over very low heat 2.5 hours until the meat is tender.
  3. Increase heat to medium-high, uncovered, and let the liquid evaporate until the pork starts crisping in the rendered fat.
  4. Stir gently to crisp the pork on all sides, about 10 minutes.
  5. Remove the carnitas with a slotted spoon, drain briefly.
  6. Serve with warm corn tortillas, salsa verde, chopped onion, cilantro and lime.

Tip from the editors. The milk is the Tapatio difference: it tenderises the pork and caramelises with the orange peel for a slightly sweet, deeply Tapatio flavour.

Where to eat carnitas tapatio

Carnitas tapatio in Guadalajara

El Carnal ★ 3.9

$ TaqueriaTlaquepaque

El Carnal in Tlaquepaque is the Calle Independencia carnitas counter, a low-cost San Pedro stop for carnitas, tacos dorados and quesadillas under 100 pesos.

TryCarnitas

Directions

Casa Fuerte ★ 4.2

$$ MexicanTlaquepaque

Casa Fuerte on Calle Independencia in Tlaquepaque is the courtyard room in a 19th-century mansion, a Guadalajara metro classic for traditional Tapatio plates.

SignatureBirria, Chiles en nogada, Sopa tarasca

Directions

Los Famosos Equipales ★ 4.0

$$ MexicanLafayette

Los Famosos Equipales in Guadalajara is the Avenida La Paz courtyard fonda serving carnitas, chiles rellenos and pozole on Tapatio equipal-chair tables.

SignatureCarnitas, Chiles rellenos, Pozole

Directions

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