pulled pork taco

I’ve been telling Katrina for a few weeks now that we should make pulled pork again.  Usually I’d make it with some Sweet Baby Ray’s barbecue sauce and eat it by itself or on a bun, but this time I opted to make Pulled Pork Tacos.  Keep on reading for the recipe!



The idea to make Pulled Pork Tacos came from reading Peggy’s blog [mybflikeitsoimbg].  Her’s looked delicious so I decided to make them for Katrina and her older sister.  I was never a huge fan of pulled pork in the past.  When I lived in Missouri, I’d often show up to a party or school function and what was on the menu… generic pulled pork of course.  I was very skeptical when Katrina asked to make them, but after creating my own spice rub for the pork and soaking it in Sweet Baby Ray’s barbecue sauce, I fell in love.  It’s also very simple to make.  You wrap the pork up in the spices overnight and slow cook it in a crock pot the next day.  It will fill your house with wonderful aromas, and the slow cooked pork will be super tender.  I used my trusty Rival 6.5 Quart Crockpot for the task.  For the tacos I omitted barbecue sauce, but feel free to add it when the pork is done cooking.  The ingredients below may look spicy, but don’t worry about it.   Katrina hates spicy food, but she loves this pork.


pulled pork taco


ingredients:

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  • pork shoulder roast
  • 4 tbs. paprika
  • 2 tbs. black pepper
  • 2 tbs. salt
  • 2 tbs. chili powder
  • 2 tbs. cumin
  • 2 tbs. brown sugar
  • 1 tbs. oregano
  • 1 tbs. cayenne pepper
  • 1 tbs. sugar
  • taco shells (hard or soft), warmed
  • queso fresco, shredded
  • tomatoes, diced
  • lettuce, shredded
  • hot sauce (Tapatio)

directions:

  1. Preferably the day before you cook the pulled pork, mix all of the spice rub ingredients together.  Add the brown sugar last because it will stick to your measuring spoon!  Don’t worry about getting the exact amount of each spice.  Eyeballing is good enough for this recipe.  Rub all sides of the pork roast with the spice blend.  Wrap all of the pork tightly with plastic wrap.  Place in the refrigerator overnight to allow the spices to absorb into the meat.  Wrap in tin foil or set on a plate to prevent leaking.
  2. The next morning, unwrap the pork and set in a large crock pot on low heat.  The meat should not touch the sides.  Fill the crock pot so half of the meat is submerged in water.  Cover with lid and cook for 8-10 hours until easily pulled apart with a fork.
  3. Remove meat from crock pot and pull apart with a fork.  It will be very hot to the touch after cooking all day.  Drain most of the liquid in the crock pot.  Place the meat back into the crock pot on its warming setting to keep the meat hot while you prepare the rest of the meal.
  4. Call in your guests and have them assemble their tacos!


Everybody likes their tacos a different way, so I’ve listed the bare minimum toppings you should have to create a delicious pulled pork taco.  Feel free to add sour cream or guacamole or refried beans, or whatever else tickles your fancy.  Tapatio hot sauce is my preferred sauce for Mexican food.  I’d highly recommend using a Mexican cheese such as queso fresco for this dish.  It’s a mild cheese that shreds well and gives the dish a genuine flavor.  You can find it in most supermarkets that carry international goods.


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