How to Make Manteca Fried Carnitas - A Step-by-Step Guide

There's nothing quite like the savory and succulent taste of carnitas, especially when they're cooked to perfection. The crispy exterior and tender interior of manteca fried carnitas are a delight to the taste buds, making them a popular choice for Mexican cuisine enthusiasts. This traditional dish is usually made with pork shoulder or pork belly, which is slowly cooked until it's fall-apart tender, then fried in its own rendered fat to create a crispy and caramelized crust.

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Ingredients

  • 1 gallon lard for frying (manteca)
  • 5 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
  • 6 bay leaves
  • 2 tablespoons kosher salt
  • 1 ½ teaspoons coarse ground black pepper
  • 2 large onions, quartered
  • 3 whole garlic cloves
  • 1 large orange, halved

Information

  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Cook Time: 1 hr
  • Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins
  • Servings: 20
  • Yield: 5 pounds

  • Heat the lard in a deep roasting pan over medium heat. Stir in the pork, bay leaves, salt, pepper, onions, and garlic. Squeeze the orange into the mixture and drop in the orange halves. Add more lard if needed to cover all of the ingredients.
  • Cook until the pork is tender enough to pull apart with a fork, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Discard the orange, onion, and garlic; strain the pork cubes from the lard using a slotted spoon.
  • Nutrition

    304 cal.

    • Total Fat: 27g
    • Saturated Fat: 10g
    • Cholesterol: 60mg
    • Sodium: 611mg
    • Total Carbohydrate: 3g
    • Dietary Fiber: 1g
    • Total Sugars: 2g
    • Protein: 12g
    • Vitamin C: 6mg
    • Calcium: 21mg
    • Iron: 1mg
    • Potassium: 206mg