pork shoulder

Smoky Pork Tinga Tacos

/ Ren

Smoky pulled pork, pickled red onions, avocado and crumbled goat cheese on roasted jalapeño tortillas..

Pork Tinga Tacos

Pork Tinga Tacos (Tacos de Tinga Poblana)

For the Pickled Onions (adapted from a recipe by David Lebovitz)

3/4 cup organic white vinegar
3 tablespoons rapadura
pinch of sea salt
1 bay leaf
5 allspice berries
5 whole cloves
a small, dried chile pepper
1 star aniseseed
1 clove garlic, bruised
1 large red onion, peeled, and thinly sliced into rings

Bring all ingredients except onions to a boil in a non-reactive saucepan. Reduce heat and add the onions. Simmer 30 seconds, stirring continuously.  Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature before transferring to the refrigerator for up to 3 months.  Pickled onions may be eaten the day they are made, but taste best after 3 days in the refrigerator.

For the Tinga Poblana (adapted from a recipe by Rick Bayless)

2/3 pound pulled pork (I’ve used yesterday’s leftover Cuban pork)
1 red potato, cut into 1/4″ dice
1 Roma tomato, cut into 1/4″ dice
1 tablespoon Mexican oregano
1 teaspoon cumin seed
1 tablespoon leaf lard or pastured butter
1 cup chicken stock
1-2 chipotle chiles en adobo, chopped, plus 1-2 tablespoons sauce
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon smoked chile powder (optional)
sea salt

Sauté diced potatoes and cumin seed in a tablespoon of leaf lard until soft but not browned, about 10 minutes.  Add tomatoes, chipotle en adobo and oregano and cook until tomatoes have released all their water, about 5 minutes.

Add pork, chicken stock, chile powder and Worcestershire, cover and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add chicken stock as necessary to keep the pork from drying out.  Season to taste with sea salt.

To serve, place pork mixture in the center of a tortilla (steamed corn or freshly griddled flour tortillas) and dress with pickled red onions.  Add slices of fresh avocado, crumbled goat cheese and chopped cilantro.

Lechon Asado (Cuban Roast Pork)

/ Ren

Mojo-marinated, slow-roasted pork shoulder with sour orange juice, cumin, oregano and fresh peppers, served with black beans and saffron rice..

Lechon Asado (Cuban Roast Pork)

Lechón Asado (Cuban Roast Pork)

For the Mojo (Cuban Marinade, Three Guys from Miami)

8-10 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1 teaspoon oregano
1 cup sour orange juice, or 1/2 cup orange juice plus 1/4 cup each fresh lemon and lime juice

Use a large mortar and pestle to mash all the ingredients (except orange juice) into a paste.  Transfer paste to a bowl and combine with the orange juice.  Allow to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

For the Pork

Marinate the pork in the mojo for 4 hours (refrigerated).  Remove the pork from the marinade and pat dry.  Heat some fat in a Dutch oven set over medium heat, then brown the pork well on all sides.  Transfer the pork to a plate and pour off all but a tablespoon or two of fat from the Dutch oven.

Toast a tablespoon of whole cumin seeds in the Dutch oven, then add a cup of chopped red onion, 3 minced garlic cloves and 1/3 cup of Cubanelle, bell and/or jalapeño  peppers and sauté until softened and fragrant.

Nestle the pork shoulder (fat side up) in the vegetables, then pour in 1 cup of chicken stock and the marinade.  Add some wedges of lemon and lime and a palm-full of chopped fresh oregano. Cover and cook in a 200 degree oven until fork tender, about 3-4 hours depending on the size of the roast.

Remove from the oven, uncover and let stand 20 minutes.

For the Rice

Cook long-grain aged basmati in chicken stock until tender, adding water-soaked saffron during the last few minutes of cooking.  Season to taste with salt & pepper and garnished with chopped parsley.

For the Beans

Soak black beans overnight in filtered water before preparing in the usual fashion.  Stir in some of the vegetables from the Dutch oven during the last 15 minutes of cooking.

To Serve

Spoon rice onto a serving plate then top with beans.  Use 2 forks to pull the pork into chunks and place alongside the rice and beans.  Spoon some of the vegetables and pan juices over the pork and serve immediately.

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This post is part of the Food Renegade’s Fight Back Fridays!