Slow-Cooked Pork Tacos

Memorial Day weekend. Dustin and I drove down to Aunt Linda’s for Monday’s cookout. Brayden is thirty-four weeks old and cruising along furniture now — a week ahead of the pulling-to-standing schedule from April. He moved hand-over-hand along the front of Aunt Linda’s couch for about six feet on Monday afternoon before Hannah caught him at the end. The whole family applauded. Brayden looked confused and then pleased.

I had brought the slow-cooked pork tacos for the Monday cookout. The pork is a four-pound boneless pork shoulder, rubbed with a spice mix (cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, oregano, salt, pepper, garlic powder, brown sugar), seared on all sides in a hot Dutch oven, then transferred to the slow cooker with a cup of orange juice, a half cup of lime juice, two bay leaves, and a quartered onion. Cooked on low for eight hours. Shredded with two forks at the end and tossed in its own braising liquid.

The pork came out the texture I had been aiming for — tender enough to shred but holding enough structure that the strands had a little bite. The braising liquid was bright with citrus and warm with the spice rub. We served the pork in warm corn tortillas with chopped white onion, chopped cilantro, lime wedges, and a side bowl of pickled jalapeños. The toppings were minimal because the pork was the point.

The slow cooker had been on the Hampton-Inn-priced electric pad in Aunt Linda’s mudroom from six AM Sunday to two PM Monday. The pork went into the cooker Sunday morning at six and I drove it to Sapulpa wrapped in a thick towel in a small cooler at noon Monday. The temperature held. The pork was the most successful element of the cookout’s spread.

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 7 hours | Total Time: 7 hours 15 minutes | Servings: 8

Ingredients

2 1/2 lbs boneless pork shoulder, trimmed
1 packet (1 oz) taco seasoning
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with green chiles, undrained
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 medium yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
16 small corn or flour tortillas, warmed
Optional toppings: shredded Mexican cheese blend, sour cream, fresh salsa, sliced avocado, chopped cilantro, lime wedges

Instructions

Season the pork. Pat the pork shoulder dry with paper towels. Rub the taco seasoning evenly over all sides of the meat.
Build the slow cooker base. Add the diced onion and minced garlic to the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker. Pour in the chicken broth and the can of diced tomatoes with green chiles. Stir in the cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper.
Add the pork. Nestle the seasoned pork shoulder into the slow cooker, pressing it down gently into the liquid. The liquid does not need to cover the meat fully.
Cook low and slow. Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours, or on HIGH for 3 1/2 to 4 hours, until the pork is fall-apart tender and easily shreds with a fork.
Shred and finish. Transfer the pork to a cutting board and shred using two forks. Return the shredded meat to the slow cooker. Stir in the fresh lime juice and let everything sit together on the WARM setting for 10 minutes to absorb the juices.
Warm the tortillas. Wrap tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave for 30 to 45 seconds, or warm them directly over a gas burner for about 20 seconds per side until just charred at the edges.
Assemble and serve. Spoon the shredded pork onto warmed tortillas and top as desired with cheese, sour cream, salsa, avocado, cilantro, and a squeeze of fresh lime. Serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving, 2 tacos with pork and tortillas, no toppings)

Slow-Cooked Pork Tacos