CarnitasvsPicnic shoulder

pork · Close equivalent

Picnic shoulder is the other traditional carnitas cut, often used alongside or instead of the butt.

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.

Open Carnitas Open Picnic shoulder See substitutes

Carnitas

Pork · Leg

Carnitas is a Mexican preparation of pork in which large pieces of pork — typically shoulder and leg — are slowly braised or simmered in lard or their own fat until tender, then…

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Picnic shoulder

Pork · Shoulder

The picnic shoulder is the lower half of the pork shoulder, below the Boston butt. It includes the leg bone and more connective tissue than the butt, making it ideal for long…

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Names by country

Country	Carnitas	Picnic shoulder
🇺🇸United States	Carnitas	Picnic shoulder
🇬🇧United Kingdom	—	Hand of pork
🇫🇷France	—	Palette de porc
🇪🇸Spain	—	Brazuelo
🇦🇷Argentina	—	Brazuelo de cerdo
🇲🇽Mexico	Carnitas	Brazuelo de cerdo
🇮🇹Italy	Carnitas	Spalla di maiale
🇩🇪Germany	Carnitas	Vorderschinken

Cook either one well

$$ · 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.

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