AI-generated photo.
Mexican · Iconic, Michoacan · Mexico
Carnitas
Carnitas (carnitas), a Michoacan plate from Mexico.
Pai editors’ mark 5 / 5
Plan, list, and collections
Carnitas is cooked in Michoacan as its own plate, not as a copy of a restaurant menu. Simmer the pork in a little water and orange, then fry the pieces in their own fat until the edges crisp. Lard is the usual cooking fat. A spoon of oil finishes the crisp here. Amounts are for 4 from foods this library can count.
Health
How this plate sits
Counted from the ingredient table. The score, richness, and badges describe one serving as written. The ring and the nutrient table follow the serving count above. This is general information, not medical advice.
89
Health score
Light & nourishing
Moderate
Richness
Light
Light to very rich, from fat, saturated fat, sugar, and the cream or butter in the plate.
- Protein 49%
- Carbs 23%
- Fat 28%
Watch · Diabetes-friendly
It misses a gentler mark: sugar, fiber, the starch mix, or the richness of the plate.
Watch · Heart-friendly
Saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, or fiber keeps this off the heart-friendly list.
Suits · Weight loss
Calories stay contained and protein is high enough to feel like a meal.
Suits · High protein
About 37.6 g of protein in the serving.
Suits · Low sodium
About 397 mg of sodium, under the 450 mg mark.
Suits · Gluten-free
No wheat, barley, or rye in the required list. Still read labels on sauces and oats.
Suits · Dairy-free
No milk ingredients in the required list.
Watch · Vegetarian
Meat, poultry, fish, or shellfish is in the required list.
Suits · Pregnancy
No alcohol, liver, or caffeine in the required list. Cook meat, eggs, and seafood through.
Suits · Gentle when sick
Mild, not fried, and not a very rich plate. Comfort, not a treatment.
Suits · Kid-friendly
Heat stays mild, and the required list has no alcohol or liver.
Calories by ingredient
Each number is that ingredient’s table calories, split across the servings.
- Pork tenderloin185 kcal
- Corn tortilla55 kcal
- Neutral oil44 kcal
- Orange19 kcal
- Ground cumin3 kcal
- Garlic3 kcal
Glycemic load
Estimated glycemic load for this count: 8.6. The bands come from the ingredient table.
Portion
One serving, as written, is about 311 kcal.
Allergens. None flagged in the required list.
Make it healthier
Serve three-quarters of the plate
The ingredient mix stays the same. Calories are three-quarters of the counted serving.
About 233 kcal after the change.
Use half the kosher salt and finish with citrus or vinegar.
The same plate with less sodium. This is the kitchen note. A new calorie figure is shown only when the grams can be replayed on the ingredient table.
Low confidence: no new calorie figure. The grams cannot be replayed on the table.
Serve three-quarters of the plate.
The seasoning stays. The calories fall with the portion. This is the kitchen note. A new calorie figure is shown only when the grams can be replayed on the ingredient table.
Low confidence: no new calorie figure. The grams cannot be replayed on the table.
| Nutrient | Amount | % daily value |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 311 kcal | 16% |
| Protein | 37.6 g | 75% |
| Carbohydrate | 17.4 g | 6% |
| Fiber | 2.8 g | 10% |
| Total sugars | 3.7 g | 7% |
| Fat | 9.7 g | 12% |
| Saturated fat | 2.1 g | 11% |
| Cholesterol | 111 mg | 37% |
| Sodium | 397 mg | 17% |
| Potassium | 820 mg | 17% |
| Calcium | 67 mg | 5% |
| Iron | 2.9 mg | 16% |
| Magnesium | 73 mg | 17% |
| Zinc | 3.7 mg | 34% |
| Vitamin A | 2 mcg | 0% |
| Vitamin C | 24.4 mg | 27% |
| Vitamin D | 0.3 mcg | 2% |
| Vitamin E · estimate | 1.2 mg | 8% |
| Vitamin K · estimate | 13 mcg | 11% |
| Thiamin (B1) | 1.8 mg | 147% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.6 mg | 48% |
| Niacin (B3) | 12 mg | 75% |
| Vitamin B6 | 1.5 mg | 85% |
| Folate | 13 mcg | 3% |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.9 mcg | 36% |
Low-confidence marks sit on glycemic load or on vitamins the USDA row left blank. Those vitamins are filled from a food-group reference and labeled as estimates. Reported USDA values, including zeros, are kept. 50 g is the daily value for added sugar. This figure is total sugar, including fruit and milk.
- A serving stays under about 420 calories, so it can sit inside an ordinary day.
- Protein is high enough to make the meal satisfying.
- Sodium stays in a comfortable range.
Pai shares general nutrition information for everyday cooking. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan. Health labels are estimates from reference ingredient data and do not account for your lab results, medications, or how a food is absorbed. If you are pregnant, managing diabetes, cholesterol, an allergy, or any illness, use this as a menu of ideas and follow the clinician who knows you. In an emergency, call local emergency services.
Equipment
- Heavy pot with a lid
- Scale
- Tongs
Ingredients
Each line is stored in grams. The second amount is the other system, so a cup measure and the gram weight stay together.
Pork tenderloin4 pieces680 g
Orange1 orange160 g
Ground cumin1 tsp3 g
Dried oregano1 tsp2 g
Bay leaf2 leaves1 g
Neutral oil1 tbsp21.98 ml
Garlic3 cloves8 g
Corn tortilla4 tortillas100 g
Kosher salt0.5 tsp3 g
The first amount follows the unit toggle. The second is the other system. Both follow the serving count.
If you need to swap
- Use half the kosher salt and finish with citrus or vinegar.. The same plate with less sodium.
- Serve three-quarters of the plate.. The seasoning stays. The calories fall with the portion.
Method
AI-generated photo.
1Set out a scale and the equipment for Carnitas. Heat to 325°F / 163°C in the oven, or a quiet simmer on the stove and give it 5 minutes so the surface is actually hot. Weigh pork tenderloin, orange, ground cumin, dried oregano, bay leaf, neutral oil, garlic, corn tortilla, kosher salt. Carnitas is cooked in Michoacan as its own plate, not as a copy of a restaurant menu. Simmer the pork in a little water and orange, then fry the pieces in their own fat until the edges crisp. Lard is the usual cooking fat. A spoon of oil finishes the crisp here. Amounts are for 4 from foods this library can count.
Heat 5 min
AI-generated photo.
2Carnitas is cooked in mexico. Scrape the browned bits up with the liquid. That fond is the sauce.
AI-generated photo.
3Cook the aromatics first, then the main ingredient for Carnitas, until the edges take a little color. Braise with the liquid halfway up the food, not drowning it.
Build the base
AI-generated photo.
4Add the remaining weighed foods and cook Carnitas at 325°F / 163°C in the oven, or a quiet simmer on the stove. Start checking at 85 minutes. Carnitas is done when the thickest piece yields to a fork and the liquid is quiet, not at a hard boil.
Braise 85 min
- 🇲🇽 MexicoCentral Americaicon-mexico-carnitas-step-4
Carnitas, step 5
Step 5 · Carnitas
5Check the center of Carnitas, not the edge. If the cue is not true yet, give it a few more minutes and look again. Opening a lid or an oven door early drops the heat.
- 🇲🇽 MexicoCentral Americaicon-mexico-carnitas-step-5
Carnitas, step 6
Step 6 · Rest 5 min
6Rest Carnitas for 5 minutes, then taste and adjust the salt. Serve it in the way it is eaten in mexico, with the sauce or garnish that belongs to it. Film Carnitas in this shot order and no other: a quiet simmer with small bubbles; herbs cut in at the end; the crumb or interior on a cutting board; a spoon making a path through the sauce. Slate words for the editor: jute, flint, zephyr, trivet, tender, ripple, marble, griddle, drizzle, emberfold.
Rest 5 min
How you know it is done
Carnitas is done when the thickest piece yields to a fork and the liquid is quiet, not at a hard boil.
If it goes wrong
- Carnitas looks done at the edge and is still raw in the center. Trust the cue, not the color. Check the thickest piece and give it a few more minutes.
- Carnitas turned out salty, dry, or watery. Weigh the salt and the liquid next time. Keep the heat at the temperature in the method, and stop when the doneness cue appears.
Storage
Cool Carnitas, then cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Freeze portions for a month if the dish reheats in a pot or oven. Reheat leftovers until steaming.
How this dish helps your daily life
- Carnitas is one of the plates people ask for by name from Michoacan.
- Every ingredient is weighed, so the calorie, protein, and sodium lines come from the table rather than a guess.
Notes
Pregnancy. Cook meat, poultry, eggs, and seafood through. Skip alcohol if a bottle is listed, or cook it until the steam no longer smells of it. There is no raw-fish step.
From the kitchen. Simmer the pork in a little water and orange, then fry the pieces in their own fat until the edges crisp. Lard is the usual cooking fat. A spoon of oil finishes the crisp here.
Allergens in the required list: none flagged.
Your stars and note
Pai shares general nutrition information for everyday cooking. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan. Health labels are estimates from reference ingredient data and do not account for your lab results, medications, or how a food is absorbed. If you are pregnant, managing diabetes, cholesterol, an allergy, or any illness, use this as a menu of ideas and follow the clinician who knows you. In an emergency, call local emergency services.