Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Carnitas y Chicharrones

I think I need help with Mexican Food 101. I always thought that carnitas are kind of braised or saucy pork and chicharones are fried pork pieces with mostly skin. I went to Los Jarritos last month for a Mexican food fix and as we were in a pork mood, ordered both.
This was brought out by the wait staff as the chicharrones. Huh? Saucy? And even confirmed by their menu as "pork skins and meat sauteed in a homemade, red mild salsa"
Then they brought out the carnitas. Dry? Fried? Also confirmed by the menu as "tender chunks of marinated fried pork."
Wiki defines chicharrones as "a dish made of fried pork rinds" and carnitas as "a type of braised or roasted (often after first being simmered) pork." Okay so what gives with Los Jarritos' renditions? Well, regardless, both were pork-tastic.

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