Is There An Actual Difference Between Carnitas And Pulled Pork?

Many meat lovers have a hard time choosing between Mexican carnitas and American pulled pork, not only because both are absolutely delicious, but because they offer some similar flavors and textures. You might even be forgiven for thinking they're the same... unless you're talking to a barbecue pitmaster or taqueria owner. They could tell you that these porky delights differ in several ways, and you best learn about them before you call carnitas "just Mexican pulled pork."

Both of these famed porcine delicacies are usually made of pork shoulder, slow-cooked to create juicy, tender meat that shreds apart. You might see carnitas or pulled pork recipes that call for a Boston butt or picnic roast, but these are merely parts of the whole shoulder. These dishes are also served in many different formats with additional fixings, from Hawaiian pulled pork sandwiches to carnitas tacos with lime, salsa, and cilantro (which are Kamala Harris' favorite tacos). Both recipes also originated in North America after conquistador Christopher Columbus first brought pigs to the region in 1493.

The biggest divide here is in the cooking method: Carnitas are slow-cooked in pork fat, often in large copper pots, while pulled pork can be made using a variety of methods and tools, but is traditionally cooked in a barbecue smoker. Carnitas and pulled pork also use unique seasonings, have distinct origins, and are finished in different ways before serving.

"Carnitas" translates to "little meats" in Spanish, and the dish can be made from different pig parts – you'll certainly find a variety at specialized restaurants in Mexico. But the go-to cut of pork for carnitas is the shoulder because it's a hard-working, fatty muscle with lots of connective tissue that turns meltingly tender when cooked low and slow. 

At its most basic, the pork is seasoned with salt, then simmered or braised in lard for several hours. Copper pots called cazos are the traditional vessel, especially in Michoacán, a Mexican state famous for its carnitas. Carnitas meat is fried until crisp on the outside — a step not taken for pulled pork — before it's served shredded in tacos, burritos, and more. It's also popular to flavor carnitas with onions, garlic, oranges, and herbs and spices such as cinnamon, Mexican oregano, and cloves. Juniper berries are actually the key ingredient in Chipotle's carnitas for an aromatic punch.

As with many great foods, the origin of carnitas is widely contested. A popular story says that yet another Spanish conquistador, Hernán Cortés, first served carnitas at a celebration after he destroyed the Aztec Empire in 1521. However, some historians discredit the rumor, stating that while pork was served at the feast, carnitas as we know it likely didn't come around until the 1700s. Some believe that the municipality of Quiroga in Michoacán is the real birthplace of carnitas.

Traditional pulled pork is rubbed with seasonings like paprika, garlic and onion powder, black pepper, and cayenne, then smoked for hours and pulled apart, thus giving the dish its name. Unlike with carnitas, no lard is involved, and a sweetener like brown sugar or molasses is added. Some carnitas recipes use sweet soda, juice, or even condensed milk to caramelize the pork, but these are not must-haves.

Anyone familiar with styles of regional BBQ in the U.S. knows that competition is fierce, but Memphis and the Carolinas are best known for their pulled pork. Before the meat is piled onto a plate with bread, pickles, and other accoutrements, pitmasters in the Carolinas apply a sauce based on vinegar – the secret to the best slow cooker pulled pork you'll ever eat — while those in Memphis use a slightly sweeter, tomato-heavy dressing.

Pulled pork is intertwined with the birth of American barbecue, which is descended from the cooking of indigenous Caribbean peoples circa the 1500s. They roasted meat over an indirect wood-burning fire, a technique witnessed by Spanish colonizers before it spread to the southern U.S., where it was used on widely popular, easy-to-raise pigs. In fact, some purists argue that "real" barbecue never uses beef, lamb, or anything but the hog. Pulled pork represents that old tradition, just as carnitas is connected to the complex history of Mexican cuisine. When you enjoy these dishes, you're tasting centuries of delicious development that make them truly unique.