Duck Carnitas from Merchants Pub and Plate, 746 Massachusetts St.

Carnitas, a mainstay of Mexican eateries pretty much everywhere, usually involve braising or simmering pork in oil or sometimes lard until the meat is melt-in-your-mouth tender.

But at Merchants Pub and Plate, the traditional pork is swapped out for duck. The slow-cooked, shredded meat (which boasts a richer, nuttier flavor than chicken or turkey) arrives on a plate of creamy avocado puree. It’s also drizzled with salsa verde and cotija cheese. You can pile some of the duck-sauce mixture onto a crispy wonton, like we did, or eat it by the forkful. Either way, you won’t be disappointed.

Where to get it:Merchants Pub and Plate, 746 Massachusetts St.

What you’ll pay: $12

Try it with: Your meal. These little morsels are meant to be shared as an appetizer. May we recommend the smoked beet salad?

Also on the menu: More pub-food-gone-gourmet options, ranging from the famous Mac and Cheesemonger (cavatelli pasta baked in a rich sauce of cheddar, Parmesan and Gruyere) to relatively new additions like the wild mushroom “meatloaf.” We must have been on a bit of an “unconventional meat” bent that day, because we also sampled Merchants’ local bison burgers. The juicy little patties (you get two) are loaded up with blue cheese, roasted grape compote and bacon jam on brioche buns. House steak sauce comes on the side.

— Off The Beaten Plate highlights some of the more exotic, oddly named or inventively concocted dishes from local menus. Know of an offbeat item we should check out? Email reporter Joanna Hlavacek at jhlavacek@ljworld.com. Follow her at Twitter.com/hlavacekjoanna.