Luscious Chile Braised Pork Tacos
Author: 
Recipe type: Dinner
Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 2-5
 
Ingredients
  • 2-4 Lb Pork Shoulder or Butt, cut into 2"X2" hunks. If it has bones, no worries- cut the meat, and then add the bones/meat into the pot after browning.
  • 2-3 Dried Ancho Chiles
  • 2-3 Dried New Mexico Chiles
  • ½ Red onion, Chopped
  • ⅔ Cup cilantro stems/leaves, chopped
  • 1 orange, juiced
  • 2 limes, juiced
  • 1 Small can of Pineapple Juice (6 oz)
  • 4 cloves of garlic, smashed and peeled.
  • 1 cup of citrusy/hoppy beer
  • 2 Cups of boiling water
  • 1 teaspoon roasted coriander
  • Salt and pepper
  • (save the other half of the onion to make quick pickled onions)
For tortillas
  • 1 Cup Masa Harina
  • ¾ Cup water
Toppings:
  • Cotija Cheese, sour cream, chopped jalapenos, salsa, etc.
For Gluten free- substitute beer for chicken stock. Use Napa cabbage leaves for taco shells.
Instructions
  1. Prep all of the ingredients. Cover the dried chiles in the boiling water in a heatproof bowl and set aside.
  2. Season the pork with 1 teaspoon coriander and 2 teaspoons salt and pepper, respectively. Toss to coat pork evenly in seasoning.
  3. Brown the pork in batches, avoiding crowding, in a dutch oven, adding very little fat to get it going (about 1 tsp oil of your choice).
  4. Remove the pork, and add the onions, smashed garlic, and cilantro. Cook until the onions are soft. Deglaze the pan with the beer; reduce slightly. Add the pineapple juice, and reduce slightly again.
  5. Meanwhile, blend the chiles and water using a stick blender, blender, or food processor. Blend until smooth.
  6. Add the meat back to the pot; also add the chiles and the orange and lime juices,
  7. Bring to a bubble and reduce to a simmer, cooking approximately 1.5-2 hours over low heat.
  8. Reduce: Turn the heat up to reduce the pork/peppers to a VERY thick mixture. Stir constantly to avoid scorching- It will not only coat the back of the spoon, but be thick enough not to have the sauce run out of the taco.
For the tortillas- mix the masa harina and water until it forms a dough. Pinch off 2" rounds and flatten them in a tortilla press; cook in a dry cast iron skillet for 20 seconds to 1 minute per side, until lightly browned and cooked.
Serve tacos in a pot for people to self-serve pork, toppings, etc into tortillas.
Recipe by The Fast and the Foodiest at http://new.fastandfoodiest.com/?p=728