Pork Tacos

To be totally transparent, this recipe was a total “mess-up becomes a fix-up.” This was a saying my fourth-grade teacher taught me and one I use quite often in my life. Nothing, and sure as heck no one, is perfect, so why stress over all the mistakes we can make? My idea for this recipe was to make tacos with beautifully juicy and gorgeously shredded pork.  I turned to my handy dandy freezer and found that we had 1lb of pork tenderloin in there. Without consulting the internet and realizing that I should’ve instead used my slow cooker vs my instant pot for this result, I plopped this baby in my instant pot, turned it on, and got preparing my sides. To my dismay, this pork was in fact not at all the kind that I could shred, but instead a perfectly cooked, tender, and juicy meat. Instead of beating myself up over the fact that dinner was no longer going to look as I had hoped, I sliced the tenderloin, noticed how beautiful and tasty it was, and moved forward with the new star of the show. Turns out, this recipe is one of Joe’s favorite things I have ever made and provided some delicious leftovers for my younger sister. Plus, considering I never told anyone about the original plan, the mistake went was nonexistent. I’d call that a win in the mess-up becomes a fix-up category if I do say so myself.

Before I dive into the recipe, I want to provide some history and context on tacos. According to this piece in Vallarta Eats, the word taco comes from the word “tlahco”, which means “half or in the middle”. However, according to this article, there are also beliefs that the name taco was first referred to dynamite used in mines, which was wrapped tightly in paper, much like the modern-day taco is wrapped in a tortilla. It is believed that the classic corn tortillas were originally used as a spoon-like structure to hold the food they were eating (dating back to 1,500 BC). In the early 1900s, the revolutionary era brought the emergence of the classic and original taco. Then, during an economic crisis in the 1950s, residents began selling the famous dish on the streets to workers. Evidence is believed that tacos first made their way over to the US by an influx of immigrants in the 19th century into the Los Angeles area. Today, you are able to find Americanized versions of tacos in just about every city. The first telling sign of an authentic taco would be the shell, which should be corn-based, and the second would be the fillings, which should be a few simple ingredients: meat, lettuce, and a small amount of cheese. For a lot more information on this topic, here is a book devoted to the investigation of Mexican food: Global Taco - A Global History of Mexican Food. While this recipe is not traditional, it is my take of the Americanized version of a taco.

Ingredients (serves 3, with 2 tacos each):

• Pork tenderloin (1lb)

• Avocado (1)

• Mango (1)

• Jalapeño (1)

• Jicama sticks (4)

• Lime (2)

• Tomato (1)

• Cabbage (¼ head)

• Romaine (½ head)

• Tortillas (6)

• Chicken or beef broth (2 cups)

• Mayonnaise (2 tablespoons)

• Toasted sesame oil (1 teaspoon)

• Avocado oil

• Mustard powder

• Salt & pepper

• Chili lime salt – from Trader Joe’s

Directions:

1. Make the pork:

   1. Place it in the instant pot with a mixture of broth and water, enough to cover the entire thing

   2. Season that mixture with salt, pepper, and mustard powder

   3. Place the lid on and put the pot on manual mode, high pressure, for 10 minutes

   4. While the pork is cooking, prepare the mango chutney:

      1. Cut the mango into ¼ inch pieces

      2. Cut the jicama sticks into ¼ inch pieces

      3. Cut the tomato into ¼ inch pieces

      4. Dice the jalapeño into very small pieces

      5. Toss all of the ingredients above together and season with chili lime salt, pepper, and the juice of 1 lime

      6. Set aside in a serving bowl

      7. Prepare the cabbage slaw:

         1. Slice the cabbage head into slivers and then chop those spears into ½ inch pieces

         2. Toss the cabbage with 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon of toasted sesame oil, 1 teaspoon of avocado oil, and salt & pepper

         3. Set aside in a serving bowl

         4. Chop the romaine into ½ inch wide ribbons and set aside in a serving bowl

         5. Half and cut an avocado into slivers and set aside on a serving plate

         6. When the pork is done and the instant pot has released the pressure, remove the pork from the pot and allow to sit ~5 minutes

         7. While the pork is resting, now is a great time to char the tortillas on the open flame of the stovetop

         8. Once ready, slice the pork into ½ inch cube pieces and place on a serving plate

         9. Set up a build-your-own taco bar with the following options for guests:

            1. Pork

            2. Mango chutney

            3. Cabbage slaw

            4. Romaine

            5. Avocado

            6. Charred tortilla

            7. Lime (for topping)

Allergen Information:

• Gluten free

• Dairy free

• Garlic & onion free

• Soy free

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