"Honey, I can see that it's meat, but I want to know what kind of meat?" Turns out Hubby wasn't just being cute calling the meat the Spanish word for "little meats", Carnitas was the actual name of the fried pork meat.
Traditionally Carnitas are fried in manteca (lard) in a large copper cazo (pot) over a wood burning fire. The meat is fried to a golden crisp on the outside, but inside it's tender and juicy. The taste is out-of-the-this-world delicious. Carnitas are so good that I've come up with an easier (and healthier) version so we can enjoy them at home.
I use vegetable or canola oil to "fry" my carnitas, but if you're looking for that authentic Mexican Carnitas flavor, you can use lard. The choice is entirely up to you. These finger-lickin' good Carnitas are delicious on their own, or you can use them as a filling for tacos, tostadas, burritos, and/or enchiladas.
