Hola, Pati!

Can I make this without using the condensed milk?? My son has milk allergy. Can the condensed milk be substituted or simply omitted?

I absolutely love your cooking show!!! You are such a breath of fresh air to cooking shows and have such a fun personality!!! Your food is divine!!! I love cooking Mexican food and enjoy experimenting with flavor!!! You have shared some wonderful tips and I hope I get a chance to meet you some day!!! God Bless you Pati, you deserve it!!! If you are ever in Salt Lake City, my door is always open!!! how do I order your cookbook?

I will need try carnitas asap with condensed milk. Will let you know if it is to my taste.

I’ve made good carnitas in the past but decided to use your recipe this time. Perfection! Made exactly to recipe except put them in the oven at 285 for about 3 hours. There was more than enough meat for several meal, my husband finished the carnitas a couple of days later and literally drank the remaining cooking liquid! Plus I was able to get my corn tortillas to puff after watching your show and following your advise to make the dough a little wetter. We love your show and enjoying trying your wonderful recipes. You have a beautiful family. Thanks for helping me make good foods for my family.

Great recipe……..

Great recipe! I’m making it now. Can you tell me the purpose of the condensed milk? Thanks!

We’ve tried so many recipes for carnitas. This one though, I must say, is IT. Actually, even better than any restaurant “carnitas” we’ve had! This one goes on file in our recipe book as the way it’s done. Thank you Pati, for this and all your other authentic recipes too!

I’ve made your Carnitas twice now and they are wonderful. I think shredding the pork was the most time-consuming part of the recipe. This was the first recipe of yours I made. There will be more to come. Thank you.

Hi Pati
We enjoyed eating these carnitas this weekend. We are kind of carnitas junkies 😁 but then I took one of your empanada recipes and my leftover carnitas and made a whole other dinner. 👍 love your food💗

Thank you Pati for this recipe. Super easy to make, only ingredient I did not have on hand was marjoram so I added a bit of oregano instead(not sure if that was ok though). It turned out great and my family loved it. I served it with guacamole, corn salsa.

Hi Pati!
I’ve made this recipe several times and everyone loves it! I’m curious what the condensed milk does.
Thank you so much for sharing!

I was hesitant in making because I buy carnitas… I don’t know how to make these. Well I made them. And I want to say much much better than bought ones. So delicious. I love this recipe. And I froze some.👍🏼

Today I made this for the second time, and my family raves about it. I love that it’s so versatile. Some of us make tacos, others put it on salad, or sandwiches, or just plain. Thank you for the great recipes from one of my favorite cooking shows.

Pati, I just made this today. BEST carnitas I’ve ever had!!!! Thank you! I watch you all the time, and look up your recipes. I love how some are authentic and some are a mix. Can’t wait until your new season starts.

Hi Pati! If I was to make 4-5 servings what would the measurements be? I need a smaller thing of pork than 4 lbs. I’m just not very good at changing the measurements.

Hola Pati, I love your programs, have owned both of your cookbooks for a long time, and cook from them regularly. You continue to inspire me to try more and more Mexican techniques, ingredients, recipes and delicious meals! I am so grateful, especially during these difficult times! My dilemma, carnitas or posole. A combo? Why not!💞

This recipe was estupendo!! So easy to make . I love your show and it always reminds me of growing up with my mom the way you interact with your family. Your show with Viviana Howard was great as well!

I used this recipe today and I am sold!! Best pork I have ever made. So juicy, flavorful and tender. And really easy. Pati – my husband and I love your show and appreciate the love you clearly put into your cooking. Thanks for sharing.

Hello Pati,
I thought I had a pretty good recipe until I gave yours a try today. Holy Moly, what a difference, the pork was so moist and the flavor, out of bounds!! I did use some Cuban pork stock I had saved and used it instead of water and I was glad I had it!!
Thank you so much for sharing, it was unreal!!

Oh my!!! This recipe for carnitas is the very best I’ve ever had!! The braising liquid with the unique ingredients and the addition on sweet condensed milk are fantastic!!!

I Love Carnitas, I am hoping these are as good as I get in Mexico, They look great, I look forward to trying them and other of your recipes….thanks for highlighting Mexico’s great foods.

Omg i made this today. They are delish can’t wait to sherred and make taco’s. We love watching your show..

Pati has one of the best cooking shows on t.v. She always has great recipes and I love the people and places she introduces the audience to. Gusta.

Can’t wait to make these for Mother’s Day! It will be so wonderful to share a super flavorful dish like this with my family. I have never added anything sweet to my carnitas before and I am so excited to try this version!

Watching your carnitas episode and the husband wants me to try your recipe… Naturally, at the moment pork is hard to come by where we’re at due to the pandemic, but I’ve saved your recipe and will be making it as soon as I get a chance. I have always used onion, garlic, citrus, bay leaf, cumin and Mexican oregano. I’ll admit, the sweetened condensed milk and cloves give me pause for thought, but I have Mexican friends who include a cinnamon stick, so I know everyone has their own favorite recipe. I’ll be following up and letting you know how it turned out! We love your show, hope you and your family are (and stay) well!

These are to die for… no joke, just make them, don’t give it a second thought. However, we did make some adjustments given the ingredients we had on hand. We subbed oregano for marjoram, ground clove for whole clove and brown sugar for sweetened condensed milk (our son has a dairy allergy). These turned out amazing, we love Patti and watching your shows; so many good recipes and such fun to watch.

We’ve been hankering for carnitas! I made myself follow the recipe to the letter and it was fantastic! Thanks so much for making taco night truly special!

Hola Pati is there any difference in flavor or authenticity with this carnitas recipe and the brown sugar one? Quiero hacer las carnitas en casa por primera vez y no se cual escoger ? Auxilio!

Your recipes are the best. Carnitas are simmering. Smelling fabulous! Getting hungry

Pati!!! This recipe is AMAZING! My Grandmother is from Mexico, and Mexican food is always instant comfort for me! I love making Mexican food for my friends, and know this is definitely going to comfort their hearts, souls, and stomachs! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!

I wish I knew of a word that meant thank you x 1000. You are amazing in the kitchen and inspire me to take my cooking to the next level.

Wonderful so easy for “gringo”,I love it

Pati, is this the same recipe as those wonderful sandwiches from Tijuana? Back at home, you and your son spooned the two sauces over, and you said it made the bread happy! I couldn’t find in the recipes, and it made us so hungry last night. When you took a bite, we did along with you! Thanks. Love your show.

This recipe is so easy to follow and the results are nothing short of spectacular. The sweet twist on carnitas makes a meal that will be easy to repeat and always remembered by your family or guests. Great results all three times it was made.

Ipati l love your show and all of your meal .you love Mexico . your mom looking so pretty and smart also your dad to. Mind family want to no make pozloRed …we don’t miss a show your boys look just like your husband. Take care see you soon.

OMGoodness! Thank you Pati for this most amaz-a-zing recipe! yum, Yum, YUM!

Not sure if this posted the first time i would love to try this was just wondering what the 4 whole cloves was of

Wow! This was fantastic even though I substituted some things. I didn’t have any sweetened condensed milk, so I put a little whole milk and some apricot preserves. I also put some celery in with the garlic and onion because I like celery and wanted to clean out the fridge. Also, I just used vegetable oil since I never buy lard.

Holy guacamole! Made this for Easter and if I closed my eyes, I swear I was at a little roadside stand in Guadalajara. Have to make two pots next time. We ran out. Happy Cinco De Mayo.

I must be the only one on this thread who’s carnitas didn’t turn out! So embarrassing😕. I mean the flavor was delicious even though I admittedly forgot the bay leaves but by the time an hour and a half went by all of the braising liquid had evaporated and the meat was on the rough dry side. My stove does run a little hot. I even made it with less meat, 1 1/2 kilos. Whay do you think happened?

we Love carnitas. What casserole did you make with this?

What was the green salsa with tomatillos and avocado called?

I have been making what I thought was a really fabulous carnitas recipe, I was a little hesitant because of the thyme and marjoram…….. but holy moly, this is the most delicious absolutely amazing recipe ever!! Once again you have stole the show! Muchísimas gracias xoxoxox

Hi Pati,

I’m always in search of the best carnitas recipe that’s practical to prepare at home (something other than deep-frying in lard). After reading through this and your Brown Sugar Carnitas recipe, I have 2 questions:

How can 1 Tbs of lard be enough to brown 5 lbs. of pork (the other recipe uses 1 cup)?

The Brown Sugar recipe calls for 1 cup of lard and there’s no mention of draining/removing it. Given that pork shoulder renders a tremendous amount of fat when cooked, in addition to the cup of lard, how does this not result in an incredibly greasy/lard-laden sauce when finished?

Thank you so much in advance for all the wonderful recipes and advice you are kind enough to share with the world!

Made this for dinner tonight.
Followed the recipe precisely, served it from the pot.
Cilantro rice with it.
Everybody was crazy about it.
This is absolutely delicious.
Had some corn and flour tortillas for folks who wanted them.
The sauce would make an old pair of flip flops taste delicious. 😉

Thank you Pati for all you do! The Carnitas super easy, Yummy!

Love this recipe. Easy

I super love your show! Am a Filipina and just moved here in Texas 10 months ago from PH. Am an avid fan of Mexican cooking! I tried this carnitas and the aroma coming out from the Dutch oven while am simmering it, is to die for! Thanks for sharing this recipe and I will try recreating more of your recipes in my own little kitchen! My husband really liked this carnitas as well! A perfect taco Tuesday night for us!

I’m trying this tonight. I dont have that nice pan so I’m using a Crock-Pot for 8hrs. I plan on taking out the meat and ladling the juices out into a pan on the stove and reducing it on he stove then adding the meat back to the juices once it’s a little reduced and thickened and caramelized .

Hola Pati, i finally made Carnitas today, and it was one of the best pork dishes I’ve had! (Y soy Cubana, ya sabes que sin lechon no puedo vivir). My family (including my Chilean husband and Jewish son in law) loved it!! I served it with arroz con cilantro and a cabbage, jicama and cucumber salad. Tomorrow, we’re looking forward to nachos. Thank you Pati!

I made this tonight with your salsa verde crudo and gaspacho. Delicious! But what to do with the leftover carnitas?

¡Hola Pati!
First off I love your show and I will be buying your cookbooks. I just made this recipe and it smelled and tasted sooooo good! I was wondering if you ever broil the shredded meat for 6 mins? Also do you go by time or temp? 200 degrees F about right?

Gracias para todo y your voice makes us men cooks weak in the knees jajaja 🙂

Made the carnitas last week and they were fantastic! My picky eaters even ate them. Two tacos each! This recipe is easy to make and so flavorful. My favorite part is adding the onion mix to the pot. The aroma is heavenly. I love it!! It freezes well too. Next time I’m making a double batch and add it to my standby freezer dinners.

Whole cloves stems removed? By stems to you mean to remove the little end part and only use the round part?

I made this yesterday and it was delicious! Thanks for sharing your recipe. Followed all the ingredients as listed. I removed the pork from the liquid and put it on a foil lined pan and broiled it for 5 minutes per side. I’m drooling as I type this with the anticipation of left overs.

I made the Carnitas yesterday and it was great. I prepared everything exactly as the recipe said except for adding a half a jalapeno to the onion mixture. The meat was excellent and the sauce was so delicious — we kind of wanted to drink it but realized it was pretty salty to do that. I served with some “refried beans” I made and the usual toppings for tacos: avocado, onion, tomato, cilantro, lime and salsa verde. We are looking forward to leftovers for dinner tonight! I must say I thought the sweetened condensed milk was odd but I did it anyway and all was well. Try this recipe and then find something to do with the delicious sauce afterward. Thanks Pati!

Would I be able to make these with pork loin ends or not enough fat? Picked these up by mistake. Also could u replace the sweetened condensed milk for full fat coconut milk? We don’t eat dairy.

Miriam–if you are so inclined, you can make sweet and condensed milk with coconut milk. Here are some instructions: http://glutenfreeonashoestring.com/homemade-sweetened-condensed-milk/

I adapted your recipe to use in an Instant Pot. I cut the time to 40 minutes and it worked great. I am going to brown it under the broiler (we used to deep fry our carnitas). I’m going to strain the leftover liquid and make beans with the stock. Because pressure cookers don’t have evaporation I think that I will leave the water out of the braising liquid the next time. Love your show!

Would the carnitas freeze well for a short period of time? Live alone, love good food, and it is hard to cook for only one. Thanks

This is a gorgeous and easy recipe. Somehow (probably because I added too much liquid) I have about 3 cups of divine broth. I think I’ll just make more carnitas with it– any other ideas?
I suppose it could be nice for a chicken tortilla soup, but not for beans, since it is perhaps a bit acidic. I really would love to use it for black beans, what do you think/

your huge fan at our house,
elizabeth

My 16 year old daughter and I cooked this on a raining Saturday afternoon and she loved it. It was so easy to make. Thank you for sharing!

Hi Pati,
This recipe is amazing considering how simple it is to make. I love your show! Every time I watch it, It brings back these beautiful, warm and cozy childhood memories. Growing up in a latin home of scarce resources was not easy, but mom & dad always managed to stretch out every penny to give us a healthy and or traditional meal. I was born in Guanajuato and raised in the States so I got the best of both worlds.

I can totally relate to the stories and history while you cook on the show. I still remember the stories shared during those times while my mom cooked in the kitchen: everything from embarrassing, funny, happy, to sad and uplifting, my parents stories of living the Cristero War in their childhood, ghost stories, illness, trips and Guanajuato’s old history, and of course current life events. There’s an incredible connection between food and family that even the most frugal meals came with great enrichment to the soul , be it breakfast, lunch or dinner, somehow you feel more connected and appreciative when you learn the story behind the ingredient or a particular dish.

As grownups my siblings and I would take our kids on most sundays to “La Casa Grande” to visit mom and dad, just enjoying the moment with mom’s authentic cooking , sharing life as it happened, that is until we lost her a year ago. I miss her greatly but in my heart I will always cherish those warm memories. Thanks for the show which stirs all those good feelings.

Hope you can visit Guanajuato sometime, its an old beautiful city, very colorful, full of life and history, a city standing still in time. Perhaps someday you can present some recipes from the region.

Es un orgullo tener a alguien como tu que con tanta pasión representa nuestra comida, historia y cultura y nos hace revivir nuestra niñez una y otra vez y a su entorno muestra la riqueza y sencillez de la comida mexicana. Gracias !

By the way, JuJu was very right. When you cook you make people happy, my son says the same thing. Thanks again!

Mercedes

Hi, Pati!

I caught your show this morning and saw you were making carnitas, which is my all time favorite taco filling. However, every recipe I have ever found seems incredibly complicated and more than a little intimidating. Then I watched you making the carnitas and decided that yours is the recipe for me! I cannot wait to make this for my family as a treat, so I have the recipe in my purse and am heading to the store to get everything I need to make them, and also the grilled pineapple margaritas you served with them on your show. Thanks so much for this great recipe!

Patti

I love your show! I made this entire menu today for Easter. We were tired of ham. 🙂 Everyone loved it! My husband, who bakes, also made your Tres Leches cake for dessert which was awesome.

The only thing I added was shrimp quesidillas for an appetizer.

Thanks for putting out such a great show!

Barbara

Hi Patt I love your recipes , I tried your carnitas and they came out wonderful my family really loved them, I will be making them for Cinco DE Mayo on my daughters 18th birthday, keep the recipes coming thank you

Hello Pati,

I love watching your cooking show. The passion you have for food comes through in each episode and is inspiring to me to try your mouth watering recipes.

Kindest regards,
Kay

Loved the carnitas episode. I am trying to find the carnitas carmelo’s restaurant in Houston with no luck. Their website is under construction. Any chance that you have the address? Would greatly appreciate the help.

The website seems to be dead.

Hi pati I am a long time fan. My question is how do you make your chile Pequot powder? Do you just grind the dry chilies? And do they store we’ll for a long time. Can I add salt to the grind?

Hola Pati, YOU are my favorite mexican food chef. This particular eamily fiesta is my favorite combination of recipes for a get together. Am moving from Idaho to Seguin, TX March 1st and this is the first meal I plan to cook for my daughters family and friends for my housewarming party..an opportunity to invite my neighbors! Thank you for all your dedication and thanks to Danny for encouraging you to dive into your passion for cooking 🙂