Carnitas on East Grand Avenue, Des Moines

$17.99plate with rice, beans and tortillas

Carnitas have been the star at Los Laureles since the early 1990s. The pork is braised until tender, then crisped, so every bite has both soft meat and crunchy edges.

The plate comes with lettuce, pico de gallo, radish, lime and jalapeños, plus rice, refried beans and corn or flour tortillas. On weekdays the lunch plate is a smaller portion for less.

The same pork goes into carnitas tacos, tortas, gorditas and the Burrito Mexicano.