Chile-Braised Pork Tacos
- Minutes to Prepare:
- Minutes to Cook:
- Number of Servings: 20
Ingredients
2 medium dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded4 medium dried guajilla chilles, stemmed and seeded1 dried chipotle chile, stemmed and seeded2 bay leaves2 tbsp cider vinegar1/2 small white onion, roughly chopped2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped1 tsp mexican dried oregano1/4 tsp ground allspice (plus a pinch more)pinch ground cloves1 tsp salt3 lb boneless pork shoulder (As called for in Rick's recipe)or substitute for a pork tenderloin for a leaner recipe.
1. Place the chiles in a small bowl, cover with very warm water and let stand for 30 minutes. Drain, reserving 2/3 cup of the soaking liquid, then transfer the rehydrated chiles and the reserved liquid to a blender.
2. Pulverize the bay leaves in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle and add them to the blender along with the vinegar, onion, garlic, oregano, allspice and cloves. Process to a smooth puree, adding water if needed to keep the mixture moving through the blades. Press through a medium mesh strainer into a bowl.
3. Set a large, 6-quart pot with a lid over medium-high heat and add the oil. When very hot and almost smoking, pour in the puree and stir constantly until it sears, concentrates and darkens into a spicy-smelling paste, about 5 minutes. Remove the pot from heat and season the sauce with salt.
4. Preheat the oven to 325°. Cut the pork shoulder into slabs about 3-inches thick. Lay the meat into the pot with the chile paste, then flip it over to cover evenly, spooning on more sauce over the top to coat the pork well. Pour 1/2 cup water around the meat, cover tightly and place in the oven. Roast for 2 1/2 hours, basting the meat every 30 minutes with the liquid and rendered fat that accumulates. If all of the moisture evaporates, feel free to add more water to the plan to allow you to continue basting. Let the pork rest for 20-30 minutes before serving.
5. Shred or pull the meat apart into-bite size pieces using two forks. Toss the meat to incorporate any of the leftover chile braising liquid, check for seasoning and add more salt to taste. *MY NOTES: If I am using the pork shoulder, I will moisten the meat with braising liquid, but I will reserve most of it in a bowl in the fridge. The fat will rise and harden on top. You can then remove it to cut the overall fat content..
6. Place the chile pork in a warm bowl and serve alongside the warm corn tortillas. Have your guests assemble their own tacos, adding their own garnishes to taste.
Number of Servings: 20
Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user MTHURNAUER.
2. Pulverize the bay leaves in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle and add them to the blender along with the vinegar, onion, garlic, oregano, allspice and cloves. Process to a smooth puree, adding water if needed to keep the mixture moving through the blades. Press through a medium mesh strainer into a bowl.
3. Set a large, 6-quart pot with a lid over medium-high heat and add the oil. When very hot and almost smoking, pour in the puree and stir constantly until it sears, concentrates and darkens into a spicy-smelling paste, about 5 minutes. Remove the pot from heat and season the sauce with salt.
4. Preheat the oven to 325°. Cut the pork shoulder into slabs about 3-inches thick. Lay the meat into the pot with the chile paste, then flip it over to cover evenly, spooning on more sauce over the top to coat the pork well. Pour 1/2 cup water around the meat, cover tightly and place in the oven. Roast for 2 1/2 hours, basting the meat every 30 minutes with the liquid and rendered fat that accumulates. If all of the moisture evaporates, feel free to add more water to the plan to allow you to continue basting. Let the pork rest for 20-30 minutes before serving.
5. Shred or pull the meat apart into-bite size pieces using two forks. Toss the meat to incorporate any of the leftover chile braising liquid, check for seasoning and add more salt to taste. *MY NOTES: If I am using the pork shoulder, I will moisten the meat with braising liquid, but I will reserve most of it in a bowl in the fridge. The fat will rise and harden on top. You can then remove it to cut the overall fat content..
6. Place the chile pork in a warm bowl and serve alongside the warm corn tortillas. Have your guests assemble their own tacos, adding their own garnishes to taste.
Number of Servings: 20
Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user MTHURNAUER.
Nutritional Info Amount Per Serving
- Calories: 159.8
- Total Fat: 7.0 g
- Cholesterol: 53.8 mg
- Sodium: 155.8 mg
- Total Carbs: 2.7 g
- Dietary Fiber: 2.6 g
- Protein: 20.6 g
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