Carnitas (Michoacán — Lard-Braised Pork — Copper Pot Method)

Carnitas — 'little meats' — is the defining dish of Michoacán and one of the great slow-cooking techniques of the world. The process is disarmingly simple: pork is simmered in its own lard until the exterior crisps and caramelises while the interior remains moist and yielding. The result is simultaneously confit and deep-fried, and the technique produces textures impossible to achieve by any other method. The traditional vessel is a large copper cazo (cauldron), used throughout Michoacán. Copper's superior heat conductivity and the way it creates a slight acidity in the cooking fat are credited by Michoacán carnitas masters as contributing to the flavour. In a domestic kitchen, a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven approximates the copper cazo adequately. The pork — ideally a combination of shoulder, belly, and ribs, all bone-in — is placed in the pot with enough lard to cover approximately halfway. Aromatics added to the lard vary by cook: most include Mexican Coca-Cola (its caramel colourings contribute to the final crust), fresh orange juice, dried oregano, and a small amount of milk or evaporated milk (which, controversially, contributes to browning). The fat is brought to a gentle simmer and the pork cooked, turned occasionally, for two to three hours. As the pork cooks, its own fat renders into the lard bath, and the moisture in the meat gradually evaporates. In the final 30 minutes, the heat is increased so the pork exterior fries properly in the now-enriched lard. The goal is pork that pulls apart effortlessly but has a crispy, golden-brown exterior on every exposed surface. Served chopped and assembled into corn tortillas with diced white onion, cilantro, salsa verde, and lime, carnitas is one of the simplest and most satisfying taco preparations in the Mexican canon.