$$ · braised beef, lamb neck, pot roasts, and stews
Turn a tough cut tender in one pot
Browning meat on the stovetop, then braising it slowly in the oven.
Lodge 6-Quart Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven
Boston butt is the classic carnitas cut — the fat content is what lets it confit in lard without drying.
Translation takeaway
These are near equivalents in the way butchers and cooks use them. If you can source either one, you're very close to the same result.
Keep Boston butt and Carnitas together in your notebook.
Names by country
| Country | Boston butt | Carnitas |
|---|---|---|
| 🇺🇸United States | Boston butt | Carnitas |
| 🇬🇧United Kingdom | Pork shoulder | — |
| 🇫🇷France | Épaule de porc | — |
| 🇪🇸Spain | Paleta de cerdo | — |
| 🇦🇷Argentina | Paleta de cerdo | — |
| 🇲🇽Mexico | Paleta de cerdo | Carnitas |
| 🇵🇹Portugal | Pá de porco | — |
| 🇧🇷Brazil | Paleta suína | — |
| 🇮🇹Italy | Coppa di spalla | Carnitas |
| 🇩🇪Germany | Schweinekamm | Carnitas |
Cook either one well
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