April 26, 2009

I'm a white girl; what can I say?


This evening for dinner I made a very tasty recipe for pulled-pork tacos. No, this wasn't your classic cider vineager and brown sugar flavored pork, or the coke-doused version of sweet Cafe Rio pulled pork. It was different than any I'd ever had before, and I liked it a lot more than I expected. The cocoa gives it a distinct and earthy flavor, and the chili powder is really the star of the whole flavor-show, I thought (unless you pour BBQ sauce on your taco, like Ezra did, and "change" (I won't say "ruin") the whole experience). So, my advice to you is: try and find the best chili powder you can. I don't say "most expensive" for a reason. Recenty I discovered the beauty of bulk spices at my local Central Market. Not only are they more fresh and (I think) better tasting than the ones you buy in jars, they are 10 times cheaper (literally. I did the math). It is incredible, and I love it.

The recipe also called for a slow-cooker, and as one who grudgingly pulls out the crock-pot maybe 3-4 times a year, it reminded me of what an awesome kitchen tool it is, and how forgotten it is in my cooking repetoire. Hello 5-minute prep time!

And now, to explain the title of this post. We ate our tacos this evening, as directed, with corn tortillas. I am generally not a huge fan of corn tortillas unless I'm deep frying them in strips and serving them on top of tortilla soup. So, while I did enjoy this recipe with corn tortillas, I think it might be improved upon if you used flour tortillas instead. I just can't help my affinity for flour tortillas because that's what I grew up eating. However, I think I might be able to develop a taste for them in time. My next test will be to make this pork again and eat it with flour tortillas and see which I prefer.

Pulled-Pork tacos
Real Simple, feb 2009

2 cups salsa, plus more for serving
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons cocoa powder (unsweetened)
kosher salt
2 1/2 lb boneless pork butt or shoulder
corn tortillas
cilantro
sour cream
limes, cut in wedges

Trim pork of excess fat. In a 4-6 quart slow cooker, combine the salsa, chili powder, oregano, cocoa, and 1 teaspoon salt. Add the pork and turn to coat.

Cook, covered, until the meat is tenderand pulls apart easily, on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 7-8 hours.

Once finished, shred the pork and stir into the cooking liquid. Serve with remaining ingredients.

A note: we only had a cup of salsa, so I halved all the spices as well, and I thought it was plenty of sauce. Edit as you see fit!

Another note: Ezra thinks this dish should be called "Southwestern Pulled Pork Tacos".

2 comments:

T. Wimple said...

gotta give the BBQ sauce props-- it was brilliant, y'all.

Olivia said...

I've recently delved into the world of corn tortillas and have enjoyed the experience.....my only issue is that they don't roll up like a good ole flour tortilla. I've heard that Mexican inn makes an amazing corn tortilla that rolls up like a flour one.