Which One? Mexican Carnitas vs Pastor Pork Tacos

Both carnitas and al pastor are popular dishes in Mexico but both have distinct differences.

Both make great taco fillings and make one delicious taco!

So tell me please. Carnitas vs Pastor?

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I have two recipes for carnitas on TIHIC and both are a bit different.

I also have a recipe for an untraditional al pastor taco.

See for yourself what’s similar and what’s different!

2 Ways To Make Carnitas

This one contains milk. This one does not but also contains cinnamon and cloves which changes the flavor profile slightly,

Classic carnitas are made with pork shoulder and cooked on the stove or in the oven.

This recipe is for traditional Michoacan carnitas which are made with milk and citrus juices and essentially is a braised pork dish.

Chunks of pork shoulder are browned and then mixed with milk, garlic, jalapenos, onions and lime juice and orange juice along with some bay leaf and oregano.

After the pork has cooked and is tender the meat is pulled into shreds and dry-fried to become crispy OR not.

I like carnitas crispy, so this is how I do it but the shredded braised pork, drained of its juice, is perfect on its own served with a small corn tortilla.

Carnitas translate to little meats and I have no doubt you will love either version of this classic carnitas recipe.

Very good and very easy to make and perfect for almost all of your Mexican food needs.

Al Pastor

Al pastor was brought to Mexico by Lebanese immigrants in the 1930’s and was originally made with lamb.

Pork al pastor is made on a vertical spit, similar to gyros, and is sliced from the spit in thin slices before being placed into a corn tortilla and then topped with onions, fresh roasted pineapple chunks and cilantro.

It is usually also made with pork shoulder, but because I’m a home cook and don’t have a vertical spit I apapted al pastor for my oven.

In my case I used pork tenderloins rubbed with dry chile powder and other seasonings including oregano, cumin and black pepper.

Achiote paste and guajillo chiles are often found in al pastor and the next time I try these classic Mexico street tacos I will marinate the pork tenderloins overnight with these.

I still used pineapple and chilies, but added beer for the braising liquid. Totally a no-no!

For my braising liquid I made a sauce in the blender consisting of chipotles, diced pineapple, red onion, garlic, lime juice and vinegar.

I added the pineapple and chipotles to mimic the traditional method, and though these tacos al pastor aren’t the traditional version found in Mexican cuisine, they were devoured quite happily.

Be sure to make thin slices of pork or feel free to shred if you’d like.

I like to crisp al pastor in a frying pan to mimic the crispy edges, it would have if cooked on a spit.

For that matter you can also let it dry in the oven a bit so that the exterior is more crisp but the inside is moist.

Enjoy a pineapple pico de gallo and a chipotle drizzle to top the al pastor tacos and create lots of extra tangy flavor.

Or try them as nachos.

Tacos al pastor or Shepard’s tacos are found all over Mexico City and whatever you do don’t put cheese or lettuce on an authentic Mexican taco.

But if you live in the US, you can!

Corn tortillas are used for classic Mexican street tacos, because corn tortillas have more flavor.

Flour tortillas are used for burritos, chimichangas and Manservant likes them for soaking up extra sauce.

So carnitas vs. pastor? Well, that is personal preference. 

Mexican restaurants always seem to give you a choice of tacos so try them both and see what your taste buds prefer!

Carnitas vs Pastor?

Today is May Day! (Well, it was when I wrote this, but this pup is keeping me busy! 

And it was a big event in Geordie’s life. After all, one ear went up!

As children we used to gather pretty purple lilacs and yellow forsythias, tie them with ribbon, ring the neighbor’s front door bell, whereupon they would open the door to find, probably some dead flowers. 

I don’t know why we started doing this and I don’t know how many years we did it for, but yes, we were the May Day flower delivery service.

 I’m sure my mother probably suggested it to keep us busy, but we had fun doing it.

Fast forward a lot of years and I found May Day was still celebrated big time at the college Zoe attended. 

They had huge May Day celebrations, complete with parades and games and May poles and I know, some libations. 

What a perfect way to get ready for finals, is the way I looked at it. 

She loved the tradition, and I don’t blame her. Traditions are familiar and easy to recognize and always ready to be repeated.

Though we never celebrated Cinco de Mayo, it is a tradition that is big time in Denver. 

A big affair is always held in Downtown Denver, but Manservant isn’t big on festivals. 

Bummer, I know.  In any case, this has never stopped us from eating Mexican food. 

As a child, Mexican food hardly graced my plate, except for the time my mother brought home hard taco shells from the grocery.

I don’t recall liking them. 

My father believes it doesn’t matter what you order in a Mexican restaurant because it all looks the same. He still eats it though!

Fast forward to college where I spent my freshman year at Arizona State. Yes, that is where I discovered Mexican food. 

I recall a girlfriend taking me to some dark restaurant where she proceeded to tell me to order a chimichanga. 

Soon this fried giant egg roll appeared, stuffed with ground beef and covered in sour cream, around its tremendous girth. 

Ooh. I was in heaven; Mexican food heaven. 

I then quickly discovered a cheese crisp which is similar to a quesadilla, but is crisped with butter and cheese and broiled or baked and served like a giant cheese pizza. 

I’ve never seen them in Denver, but my oh my, they are really good, too.

So for the record, I was hooked. 

I lost track of how many times I ate chimichangas at that restaurant, whose name has escaped me.

 I ate a lot of cheese crisps at Dr. Munchie’s, a name I never forgot, but alas is no longer there. 

And I ate a lot of pizza and fried zucchini that year, too. 

My love affair with Mexican food had begun and then I married a Texan. 

He has always had a love affair with food South of the border and could eat it every day.

Last weekend in our 4 days that we will have had together out of 27, but who’s counting; I took pity on him and made carnitas. 

I thought he was going to be around — but no — only long enough to pick up little Geordie. 

Manservant loves meat and he loves small pieces of meat that can be thrown in just about anything. 

What to Make with Carnitas or Pastor

The nice thing about carnitas, al pastor or Mexican shredded pork, is that you can throw it on a salad, you can mix it in scrambled eggs, you can top it with fried eggs. 

You can use it on a sandwich and add bbq sauce. 

Quesadillas and nachos make perfect receptacles for both, as do enchiladas. 

Top a baked potato with ieither, turn them into Mexican sloppy Joe. 

Make burrito bowls with rice, beans and salsa. Add some lettuce and you have a Chipotle bowl. 

What is your favorite way of using carnitas or al pastor?

Cinco de Mayo is coming, though I’m sure many celebrated over the weekend. 

In any case, carnitas or al pastor are still an excellent entree to serve as part of any Mexican meal. 

Making tacos for special occasions?

I love adding refried beans to the table along with rice and perhaps some corn in a cup.

Here in the US a traditional Mexican dish has a way of becoming Tex-Mex or even New Mexican, but it’s always nice to know where recipes come from.

I love traditional preparations that you can learn so much from and then adapting them in different ways that work for me.

Hope you give all of these a try and please report back on which unique flavor you enjoyed the most.

Carnitas vs pastor? Totally up to you!

Finally, I’ve put my Mexican and Mexican influenced recipes on their own page under recipe collections. 

Take a look. I’m sure there will be something to satisfy any taste!

More Mexican Food You May Enjoy:

Best Recipes Using Chorizo

Easy Chile Con Queso

Mexican Chicken with Ancho Chiles

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