Is "carnitas" pork fat/lard?

Carnitas are pork meat itself. They are little bits of pork meat that have been cooked/marinated for a long time so they are very tender.

If you 'feel fat' after eating them, it's likely because they are definitely cooked in a good bit of either pork fat or regular oil. Some places use less fat, so it depends on where you are ordering your food as to how fattening it will be.

I can't say for certain, but as a chef, I'm guessing carnitas are made from the cheap cuts of pork, or the leftovers after you get pork chops, bacon, etc. They are probably pretty tough cuts before they are cooked, and can hardly be used in any other kind of dish because they would be too hard to eat unless they are marinated and then cooked as long as long as they are. It's the perfect way to make a tough piece of meat absolutely delicious. :)

Carnitas is generally a good, nutritious meat, but you definitely shouldn't have it all the time. It has some fat in it. Just because it's soft doesn't mean it's necessarily fatty, but that is usually the case. I hope that answers your question!

as with most cuts of pork, carnitas has practically no fat in it so get some carnitas and dive in!

It's just pulled pork that has been re-cooked in a little oil to make it crispy. Hecka good.... maybe just have it once n awhile so you don't feel guilty