Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Pulled Pork Tacos

A twist on my favorite carnitas recipe!  You can use either a slow cooker or a pressure cooker (or a pot, if you want) for this recipe.


Two main components - the pulled pork and the slaw with dressing.  I'll break them down separately:

For the pulled pork:
--2-3 lbs of pork (I use tenderloin because it's lean and easy to cut, but shoulder/roasts work fine)
--28-oz can of tomatillos (similar to canned tomatoes)*
--28-oz can of Rotel*
--1/2 a can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (about 3-4 oz)
--Cumin
--Chile powder
--Garlic powder or salt
--~2 tbsp Mexican oregano
--Black pepper
--3 tbsp cooking oil
*If you can't find this stuff, improvise - use fresh ingredients, or just use the same amounts of red and green enchilada sauce.

1.  Cut the pork into large chunks, approximately 3" square.  Season all sides of the pork with the spices (cumin, chile powder, garlic powder, pepper).  Take liberty to add what you want here (cayenne, etc.).  I don't over-coat the meat, but put enough because then you don't have to add much seasoning later on.

2.  In a skillet, heat oil over medium-med. high heat.  When oil is ready, brown the pork on all sides; set aside.  (Pork will still be raw in the middle.)

3.  Place the tomatillos, Rotel, and chipotles in a food processor.  Blend until well-mixed.

4.  Place the browned pork on the bottom of the cooker; then pour the tomato mixture over the top.  Add the oregano.  If using a slow cooker, cook on high for about 6 hours or until the meat starts to come apart.  For a pressure cooker, I used the high pressure setting for 1 hour, then quick release.

5.  After the meat has cooked, shred it with a fork (just tear it all apart).  Leave it in the juice and simmer for an additional 15 minutes.

Slaw Topping:
--Bag of cole slaw (undressed) or make your own shredded cabbage, about 5-6 cups
--1 cup milk
--1 cup sour cream
--1 package ranch dressing mix
--1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro (adjust as you like)
--1/2 cup pickled jalapenos (adjust as you like)

1.  Place everything but cabbage into a blender and mix well. 

2.  Toss this dressing with the cabbage; refrigerate until ready to serve.

Assembly Ingredients:
--Refried black beans, heated
--Quesa fresca, crumbled
--Avocado, cubed

I served them as follows:
--Start with Laurel's homemade corn tortillas
--Spread some warm refried black beans on the tortilla
--Layer the pulled pork in the center
--Top the pork with the cabbage mixture
--Crumble some quesa fresca on top

This can make a pretty thick taco, so you may need to make those tortillas a tad larger!

This amount of pork will feed about 4-6 people.


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