Spicy pulled pork tacos

by Olesia Guts

Spicy pulled pork tacos with adobo

I eat pork…virtually never so I really wasn’t planning on creating this recipe. But a strong taco craving plus a whole bunch of delicious canned chilies in my pantry eventually led to this meal. 

Now I’m thinking, if I had a different kind of meat on hand at the moment, I would still use pork. It’s just something about its amazing tender, but slightly chewy texture that makes it stand out. However, you can go ahead and try it with chicken or beef and let me know how it turns out! 

Spicy pulled pork tacos

Serves: 6-7
Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat
Rating: 4.8/5
( 8 voted )

Ingredients

  • 3 medium boneless pork chops, about 15 oz (400 grams)
  • ½ medium onion, thinly sliced
  • 3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
  • 2 tbsp canned green mild chilli peppers (or fresh peppers+1 tsp vinegar)
  • 3 medium chipotle chilli in adobo (canned), roughly chopped
  • 1 tsp mexican oregano
  • Juice ½ lime

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 280 F.
  2. Remove fat from the pork and save for cooking. Slice each pork chop in half holding the knife parallel to the cutting board to obtain 2 thin pieces. Heat 1 tbsp of oil or pork fat in a stainless steel or cast iron pan. Sear pork over medium high until deep brown, approx 2 min on each side, then remove from the pan. 
  3. Deglaze bits and pieces of meat stuck to the bottom with 1-2 tbsp of water. Add sliced onion, 1 tbsp of oil and salt immediately to help caramelize. Saute for about 10 minutes stirring occasionally, until golden. 
  4. Add garlic, both types of chilli and toast for 2 minutes. Add oregano and return pork to the pan. Add 1 cup of water or stock just to cover the chops.
  5. Bring back to simmer, cover and put in the oven for 2 hours. 
  6. After 2 hours in the oven pork should be very soft and easy to cut with a spoon and the sauce should reduce by at least half. Shred the pork chops with 2 forks right in the pan, then simmer with the sauce over low heat for 5-10 minutes, until the sauce is thick and resembles the consistency of glaze (think honey/maple syrup). Don’t salt until this very moment! If you salt earlier, the reduced sauce might be too salty. Adjust salt if needed and stir in lime juice.
  7. Remove from the heat and serve immediately over warm tortillas. This pork filling is very rich so you don’t really need any toppings, but in case you want some - add salsa verde, sour cream and chopped cilantro on top.  👌
Did You Make This Recipe?
If you tried it please tag me on Instagram @olesia.guts. , I will be so happy to see your creations!

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1 comment

Jan 07/18/2020 - 18:45

This recipe gave me insight into an easy way to create a pulled pork meal.
I’ve already tried it twice and look forward to more fun in the kitchen!
I appreciate the simplicity of Olesia’s recipes and the amazing photographs!

Reply

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