Michoacán Mexican · Dinner

Carnitas

Name: Carnitas
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 3 h 30 min
Total time: 4 h 5 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Michoacán Mexican
Ingredients: 3 1/2 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into 3-inch pieces; 1 pound skinless pork belly, cut into 3-inch pieces; 2 tablespoons kosher salt; 2 pounds rendered pork lard; 2 cups water; 24 warm corn tortillas; 1 cup finely diced white onion; 1 cup chopped cilantro; 4 limes, cut into wedges; 1 1/2 cups salsa verde

Large pieces of salted pork shoulder and belly cooked gently in lard, then fried in their cooking fat until their edges turn crisp while the centers stay succulent.

About 4 hr 5 minTotal

About 3 hr 50 minActive

$$Cost

AdvancedDifficulty

Makes 8 servings

Equipment

Use a hot sheet pan under an inverted oven-safe metal bowl for the covered phase.
Best value covered pot
Lodge Essential Enamel 6-Quart Dutch Oven · EC6D43
View at Amazon
Another workable path: Use a hot sheet pan under an inverted oven-safe metal bowl for the covered phase.
Paid links. As an Amazon Associate, Kwilt earns from qualifying purchases.
How we chose
Research-backed · reviewed Aug 2026
We matched capacity, lid fit, oven rating, heat retention, maneuverability, care, stable model identity, and usefulness outside bread baking. Kwilt has not baked with this pot.
Lodge Essential Enamel 6-Quart Dutch Oven · EC6D43: The six-quart capacity, heavy cast-iron body, and fitted lid create the enclosed high-heat environment used by these bread methods while remaining useful beyond baking. Trade-off: At more than thirteen pounds it is demanding to move when hot, and the enamel needs gentler utensils and hand washing.
Another workable path: Bake on a preheated heavy sheet pan under an inverted oven-safe metal bowl, keeping face and hands clear when removing the hot cover.
Sources
Lodge six-quart Essential Enamel specifications
Amazon exact product listing

Ingredients

1× recipe · Makes 8 servings

3 1/2 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into 3-inch pieces
1 pound skinless pork belly, cut into 3-inch pieces
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 pounds rendered pork lard
2 cups water
24 warm corn tortillas
1 cup finely diced white onion
1 cup chopped cilantro
4 limes, cut into wedges
1 1/2 cups salsa verde

Instructions

Season shoulder and belly evenly with salt and rest 30 minutes. Pack into a , add lard and water, and bring just to a simmer on the stove.
Transfer uncovered to a 275°F oven. Cook, turning the pieces every 45 minutes, until shoulder is spoon-tender and roughly 195–205°F, 2 1/2 to 3 hours; keep the fat at a lazy bubble, never a hard fry.
Carefully transfer pork to a rack. Let the pot stand, then save the clear lard above the pork juices for another use. Pull the meat into large chunks rather than fine shreds.
Heat 1 cup reserved lard in a wide skillet over medium-high. Fry chunks in batches, turning once, until deeply browned and crisp at the edges, 2 to 4 minutes per side. Drain and salt only if needed.
Chop a mixture of crisp edges and juicy centers. Serve immediately with tortillas, onion, cilantro, lime, and salsa verde.

Michoacán, MexicoMichoacán carnitas traditions

From the table

About this recipe

Carnitas are especially associated with Michoacán, where several pork cuts cook in large copper cazos of lard. This Dutch-oven version preserves the confit-then-fry structure at household scale without claiming to reproduce the vessel, volume, or communal context of a traditional carnitas shop.

Carnitas are especially associated with Michoacán, where multiple pork cuts cook in large copper cazos of lard. This Dutch-oven version preserves the confit-then-fry structure but uses a smaller, repeatable household setup. Orange, milk, cola, and aromatics appear in some family formulas; they are not universal requirements, so this foundational version centers pork, salt, water, and lard. This Kwilt version follows the reviewed household adaptation: Scale the Michoacán cazo method to a Dutch oven, retain two pork cuts and the lard-cooking identity, and omit contested sweet additions from the catalog anchor.

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