Carnitas substitutes

What to use when you can't find Carnitas at your butcher

Carnitas is the traditional name in Mexico. Outside that tradition, butchers carry comparable pork cuts under different names — sometimes the same anatomical piece, sometimes a close cousin. The alternatives below are grouped by country so you can match what your local butcher actually carries.

United Kingdom

Leg of porkapproximate

The leg is the leaner half of a traditional carnitas mix; used alone it needs more fat added to the pot.

United States

Boston buttclose substitute

Boston butt is the classic carnitas cut — the fat content is what lets it confit in lard without drying.

Picnic shoulderclose substitute

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

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