El Carnal ★ 3.9
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.
Try: Carnitas
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.
Common allergens: Wheat (tortilla)
Make it at home
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
- Heat the lard in a heavy pot with the milk, orange juice and peel, onion, garlic, bay leaves, oregano, cumin and salt.
- Add the pork chunks, bring to a simmer, cover and cook over very low heat 2.5 hours until the meat is tender.
- Increase heat to medium-high, uncovered, and let the liquid evaporate until the pork starts crisping in the rendered fat.
- Stir gently to crisp the pork on all sides, about 10 minutes.
- Remove the carnitas with a slotted spoon, drain briefly.
- 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.
This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.
Where to eat carnitas tapatio
Carnitas tapatio in Guadalajara
Casa Fuerte ★ 4.2
Casa Fuerte on Calle Independencia in Tlaquepaque is the courtyard room in a 19th-century mansion, a Guadalajara metro classic for traditional Tapatio plates.
Signature: Birria, Chiles en nogada, Sopa tarasca
Los Famosos Equipales ★ 4.0
Los Famosos Equipales in Guadalajara is the Avenida La Paz courtyard fonda serving carnitas, chiles rellenos and pozole on Tapatio equipal-chair tables.
Signature: Carnitas, Chiles rellenos, Pozole
More cities are in research. Want carnitas tapatio covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.