LAReview
Included In
If you love tender, slow-cooked carnitas as much as we do, then there’s a good chance you’ll agree that no one does it better than Carnitas El Momo. This Boyle Heights truck has now expanded with a brick-and-mortar location in Monterey Park, but both spots greet you with the same smells of bubbling cauldrons of carnitas. However, instead of toil and trouble, El Momo serves slowly braised pork cooked in lard and a secret spice blend of contrasting flavors, including the deep sweetness of brown sugar that caramelizes the large chunks of meat to create all kinds of textures. Pork belly, pork shoulder, and pork skin are all on the menu, but the move is to order all three. The gelatinous, chewy skin plays perfectly with the shoulder and fatty belly that come dripping with juice.
Food Rundown
photo credit: Andrea D'Agosto
Carnitas Torta
Taco Mixta
photo credit: Andrea D'Agosto