A Sweet Pantry Staple Is Your Ticket To Caramelized Pork Carnitas

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At the heart of the beloved Mexican dish carnitas is the slow transformation of humble cuts of pork to crisp perfection. Traditionally made with ingredients like orange juice, lard, and aromatic spices, carnitas walk the line between sweet, savory, and spicy. But what if there was something else in your pantry that would take it to the next level? We turned to Yvette Marquez-Sharpnack, Mexican food blogger at Muy Bueno, and author of several cookbooks, including the recent "Muy Bueno: Fiestas," for some guidance. 

"Sweetened condensed milk adds just the right touch of sweetness to balance bold flavors like chipotle, citrus, and garlic," she enthuses. "It also helps the pork caramelize as it crisps up. I first learned about this technique from [chef and TV personality] Pati Jinich and loved the idea. It's not traditional, but it enhances both flavor and texture in a really delicious way. In my Tacos de Carnitas recipe, I use just a couple of tablespoons and it makes a big impact."

It might sound a little funky at first — using sweetened condensed milk in carnitas isn't standard in recipes, but it's not at all unprecedented. Marquez-Sharpnack confirms: "No, it's not traditional. [But] over time, cooks have experimented with different ingredients to enhance flavor." And while the shelf-stable ingredient is an excellent pantry staple to have on hand, you can also easily make sweetened condensed milk at home.

There are many ways to make carnitas — here's a 3-ingredient recipe that makes taco night easier than ever — and Yvette Marquez-Sharpnack elaborates on some of the other sweet variations out there. "I've seen Marcela Valladolid use Mexican Coca-Cola, and in my latest book, I added dark brown sugar or ground piloncillo to the carnitas for a deep, rich sweetness," she says." Sweetened condensed milk is just another creative option that still honors the essence of the dish."

To use condensed milk in your carnitas, Marquez-Sharpnack suggests this approach: "I add it during the braising step along with ingredients like orange juice, chipotle peppers, and spices. The pork slowly absorbs those flavors as it cooks, and the sugar in the condensed milk helps it brown beautifully when it's crisped up at the end." 

Sweetened condensed milk contains sugar and milk solids, both of which undergo that magical Maillard reaction and caramelization when exposed to heat. And while the sugary staple is excellent at complementing the natural sugars already present in citrus and onions, it's also good enough to just eat straight out of the can.

Of course, there are other ingredients you can add to further enhance the condensed milk flavor. "Citrus like orange or lime juice works really well to cut through the sweetness and richness," suggests Marquez-Sharpnack. "Smoky chipotle, garlic, onion, and warm spices like cinnamon or bay leaf round things out. It's all about balance. You don't want it overly sweet. You want that little touch of sugar to enhance the savory and smoky notes already in the dish."