From the Mexican state of Michoacán, Carnitas el Rolys specializes in savoury little meats
The pandemic presented an opportunity for Victor Vazquez and José Rodolfo, friends who were missing a taste of home
Carnitas El Rolys sells carnitas by weight, from ¼ of a kilogram to one kilogram.
THE WORD CARNITAS makes most taco lovers’ mouths water. Translating to “little meats” in Spanish, it also describes a juicy and tender Mexican dish of slow-roasted pork. And it’s the name of the game for a new Vancouver food venture.
Carnitas el Rolys is bringing something fresh to the city’s culinary offerings. For business partners Victor Vazquez and José Rodolfo, carnitas is so much more than a delicious snack; it’s history, both national and familial, and also opportunity.
Forced to shut down his limousine business due to the pandemic, Vazquez needed a new start. Together with family friend Rodolfo, the two turned to carnitas, which has been in Rodolfo’s family for seven generations.
Originating from the Western Mexican state of Michoacán, carnitas is a beloved food all over Mexico. Vazquez, who moved to Canada 20 years ago from Mexico City, and Rodolfo, who relocated to Vancouver from Zamora just over a year ago, noticed something missing from Vancouver’s vibrant food scene: authentic Michoacán carnitas.
“Michoacán is very well known [in Mexico] for doing carnitas in a very specific way,” Vazquez tells Stir. “There was not anything like Michoacán carnitas in Vancouver.”
While each state of Mexico has its own take on carnitas, the original Michoacán style is distinct in its confit-like cooking process: the meat is cooked in its own lard within a large copper pot, traditionally over an open fire, producing a full and savoury flavour.
So, when COVID-19 swept the globe, Vazquez and Rodolfo seized their chance.
“It’s been a time of struggle for so many people”, Vazquez says, “but we had an opportunity to open a business, give jobs to people, and offer authentic Mexican food.”
After finding it extremely difficult to source a storefront to call their own, Vazquez and Rodolfo eventually managed to obtain permission to operate out of the Commissary Gourmet. Run in tandem by Commissary Connect, a local commissary kitchen initiative, and the Lazy Gourmet, a well-known Vancouver catering company, the business partners could finally turn their carnitas dreams into reality.
Victor Vazquez (left) and José Rodolfo work out of Commissary Gourmet.
Carnitas el Rolys (“Rolys” being a nickname for Rodolfo, akin to “Rod”), serves both as a tribute to Rodolfo at the helm of the kitchen and a nod to the history of his family’s carnitas—juicy, soft, and tender. Like a delicious heirloom, the recipe has been taught to each member of the next generation, the ingredients and techniques passed down over several decades.
Protecting the family recipe is important to the team, but Vazquez shared some of its main ingredients: “orange juice, milk, [and] lard, as well as so many other seasonings and condiments.”
The pork—whether maciza (leaner meat) or surtida (mixed cuts like maw, cheek, and tongue)—is slowly simmered in its own lard with liquids and spices for three to four hours. This is done in a special pot called a cazo, traditionally made of hand-hammered copper. “We start cooking at three in the morning,” Vazquez says.
Carnitas El Rolys sells carnitas by weight, from ¼ of a kilogram to one kilogram, along with all the classic accompaniments of Michoacán carnitas, such as pico de gallo and jalapeños. They serve the pork with either a fresh corn tortilla (which they source from a friend, who makes them from scratch) or a bolillo, an oval-shaped bread with a crispy golden crust and soft middle—the Mexican version of a baguette. They make all of their salsas fresh on-site.
Although their main focus is carnitas, Carnitas el Rolys offers other Mexican classics as well, including cornbread, or pan de elote, and conchas, a sweet bun with a crunchy, sugary topping. Also on the menu is chamorro, or pork shank, cooked low and slow and served with tortillas and salsa. Currently operating as take-out only, Carnitas el Rolys also features a four-person meal-kit, which includes a kilogram of carnitas, a half kilogram of refried beans, tortillas, and salsas.
While the goal one day is to open a brick-and-mortar location, Vazquez says he is grateful for the commissary space. The environment is imbued with creativity, friendship, and a love of food. Routinely selling out of carnitas, Vazquez attributes some of their success to the influx of pick-up opportunities due to the pandemic.
“The people of Vancouver are very supportive of small businesses—and they love Mexican food,” Vazquez says.
Despite losing his previous business to the global health crisis, Vazquez cherishes the silver lining. “If it wasn’t for the pandemic, I wouldn’t have had this opportunity,” he says. “We have to adapt to these new times and find ways to continue. There is always a way to do it”—one heaping serving of carnitas at a time.
For more information, visit Carnitas El Rolys.
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