<p>Jonathan Zaragoza is a Chicago-based chef who got his start in professional kitchens working at the Michelin-starred Sepia and Sixteen, before becoming the chef of Masa Azul at 22. Jonathan’s path has taken him throughout Mexico, deep into its rich culinary heritage, to bring its traditions with him to London, Dubai, Paris, and the U.S.</p>

Jonathan Zaragoza

<p>Carnitas is a classic of Mexican cuisine: confit pork cooked gently until meltingly tender, then fried until crispy and stuffed into warm tortillas and topped with a bright salsa to balance the richness of the meat. 
 
This version uses traditional technique, dialed in with precision. We confit the pork low and slow in lard, then jack the temperature of the fat up to crisp the meat to finish. In a nod to whole hog carnitas preparations, we use both pork butt and ribs to produce more textural variation. The one-pot method offers one distinct benefit over other techniques, like using sous vide or an oven: You can pull the different cuts of pork from the fat when they reach your desired doneness and just slide them back in when you’re ready to bump up the temp for the finish. 
 
You can serve the carnitas in tacos, or you can put them (or leftovers!) to use in a killer <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/recipes/pozole-rojo">Pozole Rojo</a>.</p>

Classic Carnitas