Authentic Michoacan-Style Pork Carnitas – Carne Diem
Protein: 
Origin: North American, Mexican
Method: Dutch Oven, Stovetop or Oven
Dive into Carnitas Nirvana: Authentic Carnitas Michoacan Recipe
Carnitas lovers, this one’s for you! Today, we’re ditching the shortcuts and taking a delicious detour to the heart of Mexico – the Michoacan region – to explore their famed carnitas michoacanas. This recipe is the real deal, using traditional methods and ingredients to create tender, flavorful pork to make some of the best pork carnitas at home. This recipe might take a bit longer than some carnitas variations, but the payoff is incredible!
This authentic Michoacan style pork carnitas recipe is the perfect Mexican recipe to make in your Dutch oven. This can be made on your stovetop or in your oven, and almost all of the cook time is hands off, making this an easy carnitas recipe to make at home.
What Makes Carnitas Michoacan Special?
Unlike other Mexican pork carnitas variations, carnitas Michoacanas are prepared with lard, not vegetable oil. This imparts a richer, meatier flavor that’s truly unforgettable. Additionally, the use of orange juice adds a touch of sweetness and acidity, perfectly balancing the richness of the pork. Our authentic carnitas recipe slowly cooks pork shoulder in a Dutch oven with lard, bacon fat, oranges and seasoning for some of the best carnitas tacos ever.
Making the Authentic Pork Carnitas
Ingredients for making Authentic Carnitas at Home
Making the carnitas Michoacan requires only minimal effort and ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need:
Pork butt or pork shoulder: This recipe uses a roughly 5-pound pork butt. You can use either boneless pork butt or a bone-in pork shoulder.
Try some of our other pork shoulder recipes:
Lard: Lard is essential for this recipe. You can find it at most well-stocked grocery stores or Mexican markets. We typically use a mixture of lard and bacon grease for the carnitas for a little extra flavor, but you can use straight lard if desired. We typically use manteca for a bit of extra porky flavor.
Orange: Freshly squeezed orange juice add a burst of flavor and help tenderize the meat.
Spices: Ground cumin, bay leaves and chili powder bring warmth and depth, while adobo seasoning and Mexican oregano add that traditional Mexican flavor.
Aromatics: Garlic cloves, onion and bay leaves, round out the flavor profile.
Additional Ingredients: For extra flavor, we will often add about ½ bottle of Mexican style Coca-Cola. This is optional, but we like the little bit of extra flavor that it adds.
Prepping the Dutch Oven Carnitas
Prep the pork: Trim excess fat from the pork butt and then cut your pork shoulder into large chunks. Pat them dry with paper towels to ensure even browning later.
Season Like a Pro: In a large bowl, toss the pork chunks with kosher salt, black pepper, cumin, Adobo seasoning and chili powder. Let them sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
Cooking the Michoacan Style Pork Carnitas
Traditional carnitas are cooked in a large copper pot. We prepare this pork carnitas recipe in a Dutch oven, but it can also be cooked in a slow cooker. Heat up the lard and bacon grease over medium-high heat.
Once hot, add the onions, garlic and oranges and let cook for a few minutes to infuse the lard with flavor. Turn down the heat to low and add the bay leaves oregano and the pork chunks. Ideal lard temp is about 200-225, and you want the lard to cover the top of the pork. If there is not enough lard to completely cover the pork pieces, then add more lard, or you will need to flip the pork halfway through cooking.
Low and Slow: Cover your Dutch oven and cook on low heat for about 4 hours, or until the pork is falling-off-the-bone tender. This can be done on a stovetop or place the Dutch oven in an oven at 225 degrees for a more consistent temperature.
Once cooked, remove the large chunks of pork from the hot lard with a slotted spoon and let the tender meat cool slightly. Add a bit of the lard to a large cast iron skillet or frying pan and heat to medium-high heat. Fry the pork chunks for a few minutes per side until browned. Remove the browned pork to a large bowl and shred the carnitas.
What to serve with Carnitas Michoacán
Serve your delicious Michoacan style pork carnitas on warm corn tortillas with your favorite toppings like chopped onion, cilantro, pico de gallo, crumbled queso fresco, a dollop of sour cream, and a squeeze of lime wedges.
The carnitas pair great with refried beans, black beans or our charro beans with bacon.
Leftover Michoacan Style Pork Carnitas? We Got You Covered!
Leftover Carnitas Michoacanas are perfect for tacos, burritos or use the shredded pork in a Cuban sandwich, pork nachos, or even a carnitas style pizza. Store leftover shredded pork in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze for longer storage.
For more of the best authentic Mexican recipes perfect for your Cinco de Mayo celebrations try some of our other Mexican favorites:
Frequently Asked Questions
Carnitas Michoacan is traditionally cooked in a copper pot called a “chamba” over a wood fire. The pork is typically cooked in lard or fat. This slow-cooking method imbues the pork with a smoky flavor and incredibly tender texture.
Yes, as written this authentic carnitas recipe is gluten fee.
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📖 Recipe
Authentic Michoacan Style Carnitas
Cooked in lard, these Michoacan style pork carnitas are the perfect authentic carnitas recipe to make at home in your Dutch oven. These recipe uses seasoned and slow cooked fresh pork butt for fall apart tender pork carnitas.
Ingredients
- 4 Pound Pork Butt
- 16 Ounces Lard
- 4 Ounces Bacon Grease
- 1 White Onion Quartered
- 4 Garlic Cloves Roughly Chopped
- 1 teaspoon Cumin
- 1 teaspoon Ancho Chile Powder
- 2 teaspoons Adobo Seasoning
- ½ teaspoon Dried Oregano preferably Mexican oregano
- ½ Orange Cut into slices
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
Instructions
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Trim excess fat from the pork butt and then cut your pork shoulder into large chunks. Pat them dry with paper towels and season with the salt, black pepper, cumin, Adobo seasoning and chili powder. Let the pork sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
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Heat the lard and bacon grease in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the onions, garlic and oranges.
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Lower the heat to low, then add the Bay leaves, oregano and (if using) Coca-Cola.
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Add the pork to the Dutch oven, making sure it is fully covered in the melted lard, and cook at 225 degrees for 4-5 hours, until tender.
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Once the pork is tender, remove it from the Dutch oven with a slotted spoon. Add a little of the lard to a skillet or heavy bottomed pan and heat over medium high heat. Briefly brown the large chucks of pork in the oil then move the pork to a large bowl and shred.
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Serve the carnitas with lime wedges, cilantro, salsa, and tortillas.
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