Citrus-Braised Pork Tacos
By Morgan BollingPublished on April 17, 2016
Time
3 hours
Yield
Serves 6
Ingredients
Pork
2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 onion, chopped fine3 garlic cloves, minced1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon dried oregano ½ teaspoon ground allspice ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon ⅓ cup tomato paste 1 ½ cups water ¼ cup frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar 1 ½ tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 5 bay leaves Salt and pepper 1 (2 ½- to 3-pound) boneless pork butt roast, trimmed and cut into 1-inch chunksPickled Red Onions
1 red onion, halved and sliced thin1 cup distilled white vinegar ⅓ cup sugar ¼ teaspoon SaltHabanero Sauce
1 cup water 1 carrot, peeled and chopped1 vine-ripened tomato, cored and chopped¼ cup chopped onion ½ habanero chile 1 garlic clove, smashed and peeledSalt and pepper 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar 1 ½ teaspoons lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving18 (6-inch) corn tortillasBefore You Begin
Pork butt roast is often labeled Boston butt in the supermarket. For a spicier sauce, add an extra habanero or two; if you are spice-averse, substitute less-spicy jalapeños for the habaneros.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook until lightly browned, 4 to 6 minutes.
- Add garlic, cumin, oregano, allspice, and cinnamon and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until paste begins to darken, about 45 seconds. Stir in water, orange juice concentrate, 2 tablespoons vinegar, Worcestershire, bay leaves, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper, scraping up any browned bits.
- Add pork and bring to boil. Transfer to oven, uncovered, and cook until pork is tender, about 2 hours, stirring once halfway through cooking.
- Meanwhile, place onion in medium bowl. Bring vinegar, sugar, and salt to simmer in small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves. Pour over onions and cover loosely. Let onions cool completely, about 30 minutes. (Onions can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.)
- Combine water, carrot, tomato, onion, habanero, garlic, and ½ teaspoon salt in now-empty saucepan. Bring to boil over medium heat and cook until carrot is tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let carrot mixture cool slightly, about 5 minutes. Transfer carrot mixture to blender, add vinegar and lime juice, and process until sauce is smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste; set aside. (Sauce can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.)
- Transfer pot to stovetop; discard bay leaves. Using potato masher, mash pork until finely shredded. Bring to simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low and cook until most of liquid has evaporated, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Off heat, stir in remaining 1 tablespoon vinegar and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve on tortillas with pickled red onions, habanero sauce, and lime wedges.
for the pork
for the pickled red onions
for the habanero sauce
Time
3 hoursYield
Serves 6Ingredients
Pork
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped fine
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
⅓ cup tomato paste
1 ½ cups water
¼ cup frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1 ½ tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
5 bay leaves
Salt and pepper
1 (2 ½- to 3-pound) boneless pork butt roast, trimmed and cut into 1-inch chunks
Pickled Red Onions
1 red onion, halved and sliced thin
1 cup distilled white vinegar
⅓ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon Salt
Habanero Sauce
1 cup water
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 vine-ripened tomato, cored and chopped
¼ cup chopped onion
½ habanero chile
1 garlic clove, smashed and peeled
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
1 ½ teaspoons lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving
18 (6-inch) corn tortillas
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Pork
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped fine
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
⅓ cup tomato paste
1 ½ cups water
¼ cup frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1 ½ tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
5 bay leaves
Salt and pepper
1 (2 ½- to 3-pound) boneless pork butt roast, trimmed and cut into 1-inch chunks
Pickled Red Onions
1 red onion, halved and sliced thin
1 cup distilled white vinegar
⅓ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon Salt
Habanero Sauce
1 cup water
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 vine-ripened tomato, cored and chopped
¼ cup chopped onion
½ habanero chile
1 garlic clove, smashed and peeled
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
1 ½ teaspoons lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving
18 (6-inch) corn tortillas
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Pork
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped fine
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
⅓ cup tomato paste
1 ½ cups water
¼ cup frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1 ½ tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
5 bay leaves
Salt and pepper
1 (2 ½- to 3-pound) boneless pork butt roast, trimmed and cut into 1-inch chunks
Pickled Red Onions
1 red onion, halved and sliced thin
1 cup distilled white vinegar
⅓ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon Salt
Habanero Sauce
1 cup water
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 vine-ripened tomato, cored and chopped
¼ cup chopped onion
½ habanero chile
1 garlic clove, smashed and peeled
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
1 ½ teaspoons lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving
18 (6-inch) corn tortillas
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
To make cochinita pibil, the inspiration for our recipe, a whole suckling pig is swaddled in bitter orange juice and banana leaves before being nestled under a pile of hot coals to roast. To make this recipe on a smaller scale, we substituted pork butt for the whole pig. Instead of using the traditional banana leaves and annatto, we added bay leaves for herbal flavor and Worcestershire for meaty tanginess. Tomato paste gave the meat its vibrant color. A quick habanero sauce and pickled red onions balanced out the rich meat.
Before You Begin
Pork butt roast is often labeled Boston butt in the supermarket. For a spicier sauce, add an extra habanero or two; if you are spice-averse, substitute less-spicy jalapeños for the habaneros.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook until lightly browned, 4 to 6 minutes.
- Add garlic, cumin, oregano, allspice, and cinnamon and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until paste begins to darken, about 45 seconds. Stir in water, orange juice concentrate, 2 tablespoons vinegar, Worcestershire, bay leaves, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper, scraping up any browned bits.
- Add pork and bring to boil. Transfer to oven, uncovered, and cook until pork is tender, about 2 hours, stirring once halfway through cooking.
- Meanwhile, place onion in medium bowl. Bring vinegar, sugar, and salt to simmer in small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves. Pour over onions and cover loosely. Let onions cool completely, about 30 minutes. (Onions can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.)
- Combine water, carrot, tomato, onion, habanero, garlic, and ½ teaspoon salt in now-empty saucepan. Bring to boil over medium heat and cook until carrot is tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let carrot mixture cool slightly, about 5 minutes. Transfer carrot mixture to blender, add vinegar and lime juice, and process until sauce is smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste; set aside. (Sauce can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.)
- Transfer pot to stovetop; discard bay leaves. Using potato masher, mash pork until finely shredded. Bring to simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low and cook until most of liquid has evaporated, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Off heat, stir in remaining 1 tablespoon vinegar and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve on tortillas with pickled red onions, habanero sauce, and lime wedges.
for the pork
for the pickled red onions
for the habanero sauce
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