Best 6 Manteca Fried Carnitas Recipes

Manteca fried carnitas is a delectable Mexican dish that tantalizes taste buds with its crispy, flavorful pork. This mouthwatering dish is prepared by slow-cooking pork shoulder in a savory blend of spices and lard, then frying it until it reaches a perfect golden brown. Whether you're hosting an authentic Mexican feast or simply craving a hearty and satisfying meal, this comprehensive guide will walk you through the steps of creating the ultimate manteca fried carnitas.

Here are our top 6 tried and tested recipes!

MANTECA FRIED CARNITAS

Manteca Fried Carnitas image

Nuggets of pork shoulder are slowly cooked with orange and onion in lard in this authentic Mexican dish.

Provided by chefmikep

Categories World Cuisine Recipes Latin American Mexican

Time 1h15m

Yield 20

Number Of Ingredients 8

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

Steps:

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 Facts : Calories 304.3 calories, Carbohydrate 2.8 g, Cholesterol 60.2 mg, Fat 27 g, Fiber 0.5 g, Protein 11.8 g, SaturatedFat 10.3 g, Sodium 610.5 mg, Sugar 1.5 g

COCA-COLA CARNITAS

Coca-Cola Carnitas image

Provided by Marcela Valladolid

Categories main-dish

Time 2h

Yield 6 to 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 11

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds fatty pork shoulder or pork butt, cut into 2-inch cubes
1 tablespoon garlic powder
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Pork fat or neutral oil such as canola or vegetable oil, for frying (see Cook's Note)
1 cup Coca-Cola
3 sprigs fresh tarragon
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs fresh thyme
Corn tortillas, for serving
Suggested toppings: salsa verde, diced onions, cilantro leaves, sliced radishes, lime wedges and sliced avocado
Suggested toppings: salsa verde, diced onions, cilantro leaves, sliced radishes, lime wedges and sliced avocado

Steps:

Sprinkle the pork on all sides with the garlic powder and plenty of salt and pepper.
Heat the pork fat over medium-high heat in a small, heavy Dutch oven or braiser (see Cook's Note). Add the pork and fry on all sides until well browned, about 20 minutes. Add the Coca-Cola and 1/2 cup water (there should be just enough liquid to cover the sides of the meat). Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Add the tarragon, bay leaves and thyme. Cover and simmer until the pork is tender, about 1 1/2 hours; the Coca-Cola will caramelize and the liquid will evaporate completely.
Transfer the pork to a cutting board and shred. Serve with warm corn tortillas (charred over a flame) and toppings on the side: salsa verde, diced onions, cilantro, radishes, lime wedges and avocado.

CARNITAS

Carnitas image

Provided by Ree Drummond : Food Network

Categories main-dish

Time 6h15m

Yield 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 11

Ingredients

2 poblano peppers, seeded and sliced
1 medium onion, sliced
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
One 4 1/2-pound bone-in pork shoulder
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
4 jalapeno peppers, sliced
2 limes, zested and juiced
1 orange, zested and juiced
For serving: corn tortillas, sliced radishes, pickled jalapeno slices, pico de gallo, hot sauce, lime wedges and fresh cilantro leaves

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.
Put the poblano and onion slices in the bottom of a heavy pot. Mix the cayenne, cumin and a pinch of salt and pepper together in a bowl, then use the mixture to season the pork shoulder. Put the pork on top of the vegetables. Add the chicken broth, jalapeno slices, lime zest and juice and orange zest and juice. Cover and cook until tender, 4 to 5 hours.
Turn the heat up to 450 degrees F, remove the lid and cook until the surface crisps slightly, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the pork to a board and let it rest until cool enough to handle, then remove the fat and shred the meat with 2 forks.
Strain the vegetables from the sauce and set aside. Put the meat in serving dish, add the vegetables and pour over some of the sauce.
Serve the shredded pork with warm corn tortillas, radishes, pickled jalapenos, pico de gallo, hot sauce, lime wedges and cilantro leaves.

CARNITAS: BRAISED AND FRIED PORK

Carnitas: Braised and Fried Pork image

Provided by Roberto Santibañez

Categories Pork Appetizer Braise Fry Oscars Cinco de Mayo Dinner Lunch Party Sugar Conscious Wheat/Gluten-Free Peanut Free Tree Nut Free Soy Free No Sugar Added

Yield Enough for 8 main course servings, or enough for 24 to 32 tacos

Number Of Ingredients 10

Ingredients

4 pounds fatty pork shoulder, cut into 2-inch pieces
3 cups water
1 medium white onion, thinly sliced
1/2 orange, cut into 2 pieces
1/4 cup pork lard or vegetable oil
8 garlic cloves, peeled
3 bay leaves
1 tablespoon sweetened condensed milk
2 teaspoons dried oregano, preferably Mexican, crumbled
2 teaspoons fine salt, or 4 teaspoons kosher salt

Steps:

Put all the ingredients in a wide 6-to 7-quart heavy pot (don't worry if the pork is not completely covered) and bring the water to a boil, skimming the surface as necessary. Lower the heat and simmer vigorously, stirring occasionally, until the pork is fork-tender and the liquid has completely evaporated, 1½ to 2 hours. Discard the orange pieces and bay leaves. If the liquid hasn't evaporated after 2 hours, transfer the pork pieces to a bowl and let the liquid continue to bubble away, stirring often, until it has.
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Transfer the pork and fat to an ovenproof dish, if necessary, and brown the pork, uncovered, in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes. There's no need to stir.
Carnitas keeps in the refrigerator for up to three days.

MANTECA FRIED CARNITAS

Manteca Fried Carnitas image

Nuggets of pork shoulder are slowly cooked with orange and onion in lard in this authentic Mexican dish.

Provided by chefmikep

Categories Mexican Recipes

Time 1h15m

Yield 20

Number Of Ingredients 8

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

Steps:

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 Facts : Calories 304.3 calories, Carbohydrate 2.8 g, Cholesterol 60.2 mg, Fat 27 g, Fiber 0.5 g, Protein 11.8 g, SaturatedFat 10.3 g, Sodium 610.5 mg, Sugar 1.5 g

CARNITAS DE MICHOACAN

Carnitas De Michoacan image

This is my hubby's favorite dish from his homeland (Michoacan). I found that the original recipe is too fattening. This is my revised version. You make great tacos with these carnitas. Serve them up with your favorite Mexican salsa such as pico de gallo or homemade guacamole.

Provided by Mexican Sweetheart

Categories Pork

Time 2h30m

Yield 12 tacos, 4-6 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 12

Ingredients

2 lbs boneless pork shoulder, cut in 4 inch pieces
1 orange, zest of, cute into wide strips
3/4 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 bay leaves
1 medium Spanish onion, chopped
1 head garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons beef bouillon (I recommend Knorr)
2 tablespoons lard (such as Morrell)
1 cup water, as needed
12 corn tortillas
salt and pepper

Steps:

Start with removing any excess pieces of fat from the pork.
In a large,heavy saucepan, place the pork along with the orange zest, orange juice, cumin, bay leaves, onion, garlic and bouillon.
Fill with water just so it barely covers the pork.
Cover and bring to a boil over medium heat.
Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for about 2 hours.
Turn off the heat and allow the meat to cool and any excess fat to raise to the top.
Remove the excess fat, and place the cooled pork in a large bowl.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
In a separate fry pan, heat the lard and fry the pork pieces for about 6 minutes, just so they turn golden; allow them to cool.
Using your hands, pull the meat apart.
In a comal over medium heat, heat the tortillas.
Once you heated all of the tortillas, make tacos with the shredded meat and add your own favorite Mexican salsa.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 845.6, Fat 54.6, SaturatedFat 18.8, Cholesterol 167.3, Sodium 212.3, Carbohydrate 44.8, Fiber 5.5, Sugar 5.9, Protein 43.7

Tips:

Choose the right cut of pork: Pork shoulder (also known as pork butt) is the best cut for carnitas because it has a good amount of fat that will render out during cooking, making the meat tender and flavorful.
Score the pork: Scoring the pork before cooking helps the fat render out and the seasonings penetrate the meat.
Brown the pork in manteca: Manteca is a type of lard that is traditionally used to fry carnitas. It gives the meat a delicious flavor and helps to keep it moist.
Simmer the pork in a flavorful liquid: Simmering the pork in a flavorful liquid, such as chicken broth, orange juice, or beer, helps to tenderize the meat and add flavor.
Cook the pork until it is fall-apart tender: Carnitas should be cooked until it is fall-apart tender. This usually takes about 2-3 hours.
Serve carnitas with your favorite toppings: Carnitas can be served with a variety of toppings, such as salsa, guacamole, sour cream, and cheese.

Conclusion:

Carnitas is a delicious and versatile dish that can be enjoyed in a variety of ways. Whether you are making tacos, burritos, or nachos, carnitas is sure to be a hit. With a little preparation and time, you can easily make carnitas at home. So what are you waiting for? Give this recipe a try today!