Shredded Pork Tacos
Shredded pork has always been a staple in my household. Typically, it is served straight out of a slow cooker or sandwiched in a thick slider bun. A friend recently texted me, “does your mom know she’s still going strong as the pulled pork influencer?”. I mean it; whenever there is a Linville celebration, there is always pulled pork. (True statement I couldn’t eat it for like a year after college since we had it 2X/week at every lacrosse game tailgate for 4 years). So, while this recipe is very different than my mom’s glorious and infamous pulled pork, she was my inspiration. In an effort to continuously switch up our taco game to keep the tradition alive and interesting, I am always looking for ideas for new combos. After my mom recently brought in a pot full of pulled pork for my sister’s holiday party, I knew exactly what direction I was going to take this week’s spread in. With the shredded pork decided as my star, I took a little inspiration from Hawaii and decided to go a tropical route. Turns out, things I love lead me to more things I love. Who would’ve thought!?
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 4)
Pork shoulder (2lbs)
Bell pepper (1)
Purple cabbage (1/4 head)
Avocado (1)
Mango (1)
Jalapeno (1)
Roma tomato (1)
Lime (1)
Garlic (1 clove)
Tortillas (8 - 2 per person)
Chicken broth (2 cups)
Olive oil
Toasted sesame oil (1/2 teaspoon)
Coconut oil (2 teaspoons)
Avocado oil
Honey (1 tablespoon)
Hot sauce (1 tablespoon)
Mustard (1 tablespoon)
Cayenne powder
Chili powder
Salt
Pepper
Directions:
Pat dry the pork shoulder and cut into large chunks (about 2 inches thick) and season with salt, pepper, and cayenne powder
Thinly chop the garlic clove and sauté with avocado oil on either a stovetop pot or on the sauté mode of a pressure cooker for ~5 minutes, until fragrant and browned If unable to tolerate garlic, skip this step. It still tastes wonderful without it!
Add the pork shoulder chunks to the heat and sear, fat side down, for ~5 minutes or until they are browned and then flip
After the sides of the pork are seared, add in the 2 cups of chicken broth and 2 cups of water, and scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to make sure nothing is sticking. Add any additional water necessary to make sure the pork is covered
To this mixture, add in the honey, hot sauce, and mustard, and season with additional salt & pepper
If cooking on the stovetop, cook on a low simmer, covered, for ~1 hour
If using a pressure cooker, set it manually to high pressure for 30 minutes
While the pork cooks, chop the bell pepper into thin slivers and sauté on a heated skillet with avocado oil for ~8 minutes, or until they are cooked through and slightly browned
Create the mango avocado salsa by chopping the avocado, mango, jalapeno, and tomato into 1/4 inch pieces and then combining in a bowl
Season this mixture with chili powder and salt & pepper and the juice of 1 lime
Thinly chop the purple cabbage into small pieces and mix, using your hands or tongs, with 2 teaspoons of coconut oil, ½ teaspoon of toasted sesame oil, and 1 teaspoon of olive oil then season with salt & pepper
Once the pork is finished cooking, remove half of the liquid and then, using two forks, shred the pork in the remaining liquid
Char the tortillas on the stovetop’s open flame by turning them every 10 seconds until they’ve reached your desired crispiness
Serve all in a buffet-style layout and allow guests to create their tacos!
Allergen Information:
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Soy Free
Low FODMAP optional
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