What are you going to wear, young man? The carnitas tacos have a whole universe of possibilities in a saucepan, there is solid, crop, horn, ear, nana, rib, loin, leg, leather or assorted, there is no lack of pork rinds, something so tasty can be healthy?
This dish of Mexican gastronomy began its history in this territory until the arrival of the Spanish, who brought pigs with them; with its meat and butter they changed some pre-Hispanic preparations such as tamales, the beans were refried and the fried garnachas were born.
Carnitas consist of pork fried in its own lard, those from Michoacán are especially famous, where they are eaten in tacos with cured chili peppers.
What is the healthiest part of the pig?
According to Healthlinepork can have many nutrients, 9 essential amino acids, high-quality proteins, vitamins and minerals, it is rich in thiamine, a B group vitamin, a source of phosphorus and iron.
However, pork can be white, red or processed meat and part of its effects on the body depend on that. These are the types of meat that you can find from this animal.
Red meat
- Comes from pig muscles.
- It has nutrients such as protein, B vitamins and iron.
- Is probably carcinogenichas more saturated fat and cholesterolTherefore, it represents a higher risk of obesity, arterial hypertension and cardiovascular disease.
- Infrequent consumption: no more than two servings (200 to 250 grams) a week.
White meat
- Comes loin and legis the part saner than pork.
- It has less saturated fat and cholesterol content, chicken is also part of this group.
- moderate consumption: no more than 3 to 4 servings per week (each serving of 100 to 125 grams of net weight) is not recommended, for children or adults, with priority given to lean pieces.
processed meat
- Ham, sausages, chorizos and other sausages, everything that went through a transformation process to be consumed, such as smoked, fermented or salted.
- High in saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium, it increases the risk of obesity, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease.
- Harvard Medical School does not recommend its consumptionother specialists indicate no more than 25 grams daily.
What part of the carnitas has less fat?
The carnitas tacos are made with the most parts of the porkso you can find red and white meat. In accordance with Healthlinethe lean pork It is recommended for a healthy diet, as it is rich in protein and vitamins and minerals, and is also low in fat.
in the carnitas, the least harmful would be the solida fine part that comes from loin and legthat is, it is white meat.
The solid one is a little dry because it is lean meat (less fat, nerves and iron than the red), “tends to be slightly dry, as it is a very lean meat; in fact, many buy it to mix it with other fatty meat”, says the Encyclopedic Dictionary of Mexican Gastronomy.
It should be noted that it is not necessarily healthy, because goes through a frying cooking process into shortening, one of the least healthy fats for cooking.
Besides, Healthline adds that the overcooked meat it is not highly recommended because it can contain a series of carcinogenic substances, “in order to enjoy optimal health, it seems sensible limit consumption of overcooked pork”.
How healthy is it to eat carnitas?
A carnitas taco has about 241 calories, of which 36% are carbohydrates, 38% fat and 26% protein, according to My Fitness Pal. To burn them you would have to do 37 minutes of cycling or running for 24 minutes.
In accordance with HealthlineThis is one of the tacos that have the most fatsince a high quantity of lard or oilfor which it is not recommended to exceed it, even if they are solid, because it has lots of saturated fat which in excess can cause cardiovascular diseases.
The key is in moderation, since there are no bad ingredients, just bad habits: a couple of solid carnitas tacos from time to time can be part of a balanced dietthe risk is the excess, since a diet rich in products of animal origin can contribute to the incidence of obesity and risk of chronic diseases.