Pulled Pork Tacos

The late summer season is one to welcome a classic Mexican dish-- tacos! I have always loved the luscious spiced meat topped with crisp and refreshing vegetables all wrapped up in a tortilla. It is the perfect combination that can compliment the warm weather and give you a meal that can be packed up and eaten for lunch the next day.

One great way to cook pulled pork is actually in a crockpot-- this way, you can toss up all of the ingredients together and leave it to cook on its own, all while getting chores and errands done. Unfortunately, I do not own a crockpot at age 16, so I had to improvise a little. This pulled pork takes time, but oh is the end product delicious and warming! Topped with homemade pickled radish and pineapple salsa, this pulled pork taco recipe is sure to win you over. The recipe is down below...

Ingredients:

PINEAPPLE SALSA

- 1 cup of pineapple

- 2 serrano peppers

- pinch of red chili pepper flakes

- pinch of salt

PULLED PORK

- 6-8 pounds pork butt or pork shoulder (bone in)

- 1/2 cup salsa

- 2 cups chicken broth

- 2 cups water

- 2 onions, chopped into large chunks

- 5 cloves garlic, sliced

- 2 cups soy sauce

PULLED PORK RUB

- 1 part paprika

- 2 parts garlic powder

- 2 parts black pepper

- 1 part red chili flakes (can be adjusted or omitted)

- 2 parts salt

- 2 parts oregano

Directions:

The first thing to do is to prepare seasons for the pork. Chop up two onions into large chunks (this will eventually cook out and disintegrate into the sauce) and slice up 5 cloves of garlic. These will be the aromatics that flavor the meat. After, dry off the pork (butt or shoulder is fine). Mix the spice rub together and rub it into the meat. Place the pork into a large pot, a dutch oven is recommended. Toss in the chopped onion and garlic and add the salsa. Store-bought is fine and is actually a short cut to add a tremendous amount of flavor to the meat. If you don't have salsa on hand, you can use diced tomatoes. Add in the soy sauce to give the meat flavor and to add some color. After, pour in the chicken broth and water and bring the liquid up to a boil. When it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium low and cover. Depending on the size of your meat, it will take up to 6-8 hours to cook. Occasionally, check on the meat and turn it to cook it evenly. If you have a rice cooker, you can use it as a makeshift crockpot. As I had to leave in the middle of cooking, I transferred the meat and the jus to the rice cooker and set it on the normal setting to cook white rice-- it worked like magic! When I got home, the meat was cooked but not yet as tender as I had hoped. I again transferred the meat and jus back to the stove and continued cooking for about 2 hours. In this time, the meat should just about fall off of the bone and be deliciously tender. Cook on high heat until the jus is 1/2 its volume, this will increase the flavor intensity.

While the pork is cooking, chop up 1 cup of pineapple into a rough dice and set aside in a bowl. Finely dice up 2 serrano peppers to add heat and throw in a pinch of red chili flakes for color and flavor. Toss with a pinch of salt and place it in the fridge so that the flavors can meld together.

Heat up your tortillas in the oven and prepare your toppings. I used the pickled radishes from my previous recipe (go check it out!), shaved lettuce, diced avocado, lemon, and sliced serrano peppers for heat. If serranos are too spicy for you, try jalapeños for a milder spice.

Now, go out there and enjoy your tacos!