TACO TUESDAY

and my undying love for pork shoulder

It is a very special day in the DeFrance household today, not only because Tuesdays are my days off, but because it is Taco Tuesday. Taco Tuesday can really be whatever you want it to be. It can be you browning some ground meat in a pan with spices and getting hard corn taco shells with a bunch of shredded lettuce and cheese. It can be you grilling some flank steak and putting warm tortillas out with a few fresh salsas and grilled onions (my personal favorite for the summertime). ORRR it can be you braising a 6 pound pork shoulder in the oven and making “carnita style” pork shoulder with flour tortillas and maybe some rice, the latter being my “winter taco night”.

Pork shoulder (or pork butt shoulder roast, whichever it is being labeled as), is a very large piece of meat with a heavy amount of connective tissue, making it a not-so-great option for grilling or pan frying, but making it a very great option for a low and slow cooking method. If done properly, pork shoulder is by far one of the best pieces of meat that you will have the pleasure of eating. It is deliciously fatty, full of flavor, and so versatile in the ways of utilizing it.

The little toppings and sides that you choose to pair with this delicious “taco meat” is really up to you, but to give you a few suggestions, I really love pickled onions, jalapeños, quest fresco, avocado, and a few different kinds of salsas. Making a pot of rice or a pot of pinto beans along with this is also something that would be so good and truly make it a well rounded meal. I love slicing up red or green cabbage and just tossing that with some lime juice and salt to make a sort of tangy slaw to top the tacos with and I could truly talk about sides and toppings for hours so I will spare you with that. My run-on sentences have gone on long enough.

RECIPE

• 1 6 pound pork shoulder roast, bone in (the bone adds so much flavor to the finished dish)

• 2 large Spanish onions, peeled and sliced very thick

• 1 head garlic, sliced in half

• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cumin

• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika

• 2 teaspoons garlic powder

• 2 teaspoons sugar

• 1 teaspoon coriander

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• 1 tablespoon kosher salt

• 2 teaspoons ground black pepper

• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

• 6 cups chicken stock

• 1 orange, halved and juiced (for later in the cooking process)

DIRECTIONS

• preheat oven to 300 degrees F

• On a sheet tray, meat safe cutting board, or large platter, dry your pork shoulder roast with a clean and dry paper towel (this will allow the pork to brown more evenly and quickly). Make your rub mixture using your cumin, paprika, garlic powder, sugar, coriander, dried oregano, salt, and pepper and evenly rub it onto all of the pork shoulder. You can allow it so sit overnight if you want to marinate, or you can do this just about 30 minutes before cooking

• In the biggest dutch oven you have, and I mean…big, heat a bit of canola oil on medium until it starts to ripple, then gently and VERY carefully add your whole pork shoulder, using one or two pairs of tongues to really help you manuever the pork shoulder. Brown on all side until very golden and almost burnt looking (trust me, this will give you so much flavor in the end), about 4 minutes on each side.

• To the pot, add sliced onions, garlic, apple cider vinegar, and chicken stock and allow that to come up to a gentle simmer, about 5-6 minutes

• Place the lid of the dutch oven on and, with extreme caution, transfer pork shoulder to the preheated oven and set a timer for 3 hours. At this stage, there is nothing to do other than getting your toppings and sides ready for the taco night

• After 3 hours, take the dutch oven out and squeeze the juice of one orange into the pot, leaving the rind in the pot as well, and transfer back in the oven for another 2 hours

• When the complete 5 hours of cooking time are up, the pork should be incredibly shreddy and falling apart at just the lightest touch. If not, which after five hours it really should be, transfer back into the oven and begin checking on it in 45 minute increments.

• Once cooled a bit, transfer to a large platter and shred the pork alongside all of the declines braised onions and garlic. Warm up a good amount of tortillas, grab some salsas, maybe make one of your own, some avocado, crema, or whatever you find to be suitable for a pork taco night!

The reward for your patience and the amount of times taking the heavy dutch oven out of the oven and putting it back in is so so so worth it and not only will you be rewarded that night, but a few more nights because this definitely will make enough to feed a small neighborhood. Use it to put on nachos, make “quick Pozole”, or just eat it cold out of the refrigerator with your salsas and leftover tortillas and have a really good time.