Name: Michoacán Carnitas Torta
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 3 h
Total time: 3 h 35 min
Yield: 6 tortas
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 4 pounds bone-in pork shoulder with skin on, cut into fist-sized pieces; 1 pound pork belly or pork skin, cut into large pieces; 2 1/2 pounds manteca de cerdo; 1 medium white onion, halved; 1 head garlic, halved crosswise; 2 bay leaves; 1 orange, halved; 1 cup whole milk; 1/4 cup Mexican Coca-Cola made with cane sugar; 1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more to taste; 1 1/2 pounds tomatillos, husked and rinsed; 3 fresh chile serrano, stemmed; 1 fresh chile de arbol, stemmed; 1 small white onion, quartered; 2 garlic cloves, unpeeled; 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems; 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste; 6 bolillos, split lengthwise; 2 ripe Hass avocados, sliced or mashed with salt; 1/2 cup finely diced raw white onion; 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro; 3 limes, cut into wedges; Pickled jalapeños and carrots, for serving

Question 1

Can I make Michoacan carnitas tortas ahead of time?

Accepted Answer

Cook the Michoacan carnitas one day ahead and refrigerate the pork with a few spoonfuls of strained lard. Reheat the carnitas on a sheet pan at 425F until the edges crisp again. Make the salsa verde one day ahead, but assemble the bolillo tortas right before serving.

Question 2

What can I use instead of a copper cazo for carnitas?

Accepted Answer

Use the widest heavy Dutch oven or heavy cazuela you own instead of a copper cazo. The pot must hold enough melted manteca de cerdo to come at least halfway up the pork. A tall narrow pot traps moisture and gives you boiled pork before properly fried carnitas.

Question 3

How do I know when carnitas are tender enough to fry?

Accepted Answer

The carnitas are ready for frying after about 2 hours at a low, steady bubble, when a fork slides into the bone-in pork shoulder without resistance but the chunks still hold their shape. Raise the heat only after this point so the outside crisps without toughening the center.

Question 4

Why does this carnitas recipe use milk and Mexican Coca-Cola?

Accepted Answer

Whole milk and Mexican Coca-Cola add sugars and dairy solids that cook down in the lard and help the carnitas brown deeply. The liquid looks unusual at first, then evaporates as the fat takes over. Mexican Coca-Cola made with cane sugar supports the dark gold to mahogany crust.

Question 5

What bread should I use for a Michoacan carnitas torta?

Accepted Answer

Use bolillos for Michoacan carnitas tortas because their thin crust and plain crumb hold hot pork fat, avocado, and salsa verde without turning pasty. Split each bolillo lengthwise and toast the cut sides on a comal or dry skillet until lightly crisp before building the torta.

Question 6

How should the salsa verde taste for carnitas tortas?

Accepted Answer

The roasted tomatillo salsa verde should taste sharp, green, and salty enough to cut through rich carnitas fried in manteca de cerdo. Roast tomatillos, serrano chiles, chile de arbol, onion, and garlic until charred in spots, then blend with cilantro and kosher salt until loose but not watery.

Culinary Explorer

Michoacán Carnitas Torta

Ingredients

bone-in pork shoulder with skin on

pork belly or pork skin

manteca de cerdo

Where cooking meets culture.

Ingredient	Quantity
bone-in pork shoulder with skin oncut into fist-sized pieces	4 pounds
pork belly or pork skincut into large pieces	1 pound
manteca de cerdo	2 1/2 pounds