Cheats Smokey Pulled Pork Tacos with Corn Salsa

Ever been to Mexico? It’s one place on my bucket list but until we can all travel again and it becomes possible to explore Mexico in it’s purest flesh, here’s a quick cheat adventure. It’s true, when I get those Mexican travel urges (and restaurants are all pretty much shut down here) I take my body on a sensual expedition of Mexico through this rustic, flavourful and traditionally very fatty (it does make the best flavour mind you) taco dish.

Now, before we get into a little Mexican cuisine history let me quickly touch on this very sensitive issue at hand. Tacos or quesadillas? Well truth be told, I have always been a loyal quesadilla lover until this year. You wouldn’t catch me holding a taco if you payed me. Quesadilla through and through. Why? Not sure, being less messy maybe a fact but not the main reason. Maybe something about it’s similarity to a sandwich (although it’s also not similar at all). I shall leave the analysis for another day (or never).

Now? It’s a whole other story. Tacos are my homies. Lighter, fresher, so versatile and of course, like a pot to a pea, guacamole pairs perfectly. You must know avocado/guacamole is my favourite food. I often do vegetarian tacos with jackfruit or a delicious fish taco with a smokey paprika crispy coating. Are you drooling yet? Well let me introduce my cheats smokey pulled pork tacos that are so delicious and they are also much lighter on the fat and calories than traditional Mexican pork tacos.

One thing you must know about the way Mexican food is made in it’s traditional form is on mass. Street food is a big part of their culture. Small family run trucks parked up on street corners dishing out tacos by the second. These recipes are passed down through generations and make these families who they are today. They pride themselves on serving quick and easy street food that focuses on nothing else than juicy, flavour packed traditional Mexican street food. Now when I say on mass, I mean 500 plus Liter pots or below ground vats with hundreds of kilos of meat. Now we don’t have to do this but I think it’s interesting to know how Mexican’s produce their food and the large quantities in which they yeild.

In these ways of cooking, fat is a central factor. It solidifies after slow cooking and then when it’s double baked, this fat turns into a golden, crunchy bite. Yes, delicious but also yes high calorie and rather heavy. You now can see why this style of cooking is made for tacos as 1 or 2 will do you fine.

I have adapted this style of Mexican cooking and created an easy - everything in the pot and slow cook, requiring nothing but flipping and stringing - and lighter version. But man, is it still insanely tasty. Paired with a fresh and spring corn salsa, it’s a perfect match. For this recipe, I didn’t include but I often do also make a pulsed bean puree which is kinda like the tomato sauce to a lasagna. Never fails, always trusted. Of course, guacamole is also a staple, but I suggest that when you have a larger number of people, you make all these extras. Just you or a plus one, keep it simple.

Anyway, that’s all from me. I really hope you like this one. I have made it several times now for dinner parties and birthdays (and the left overs and even better!). Don’t forget to tag me if you use this recipe as I love seeing your creations - Instagram @cecilevadas.

xxx

Cecile

Cheats Smokey Pulled Pork Tacos with Corn Salsa

Ingredients

For the Pulled Pork

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1.5kg pork butt (without skin)

1 medium onion, diced

1 cup smokey BBQ sauce

2 tbsp smoked paprika

1 1/2 tsp salt

4 tbsp sriracha

4-6 cups water (to cover)

1 tbsp rosemary

1 tbsp thyme

For the Corn Salsa

4-6 corn cobs, steamed and kennels cut off the cob

1 tbsp olive oil

1 small onion

1 tsp thyme

1 tsp smoked sea salt

1/2 cup coriander, finely chopped

To serve

8 corn tacos or 2 large corn wraps cut into 4

Coriander

Lime

Pureed beans

Method

For the pork

Heat your oven to 120℃.

In a large none stick, heavy duty pot (I used cast iron pot from Victoria Cookware), heat your oil on high for 1 minute or until beginning to smoke. Add your pork and sear for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown, flip and brown the other side. Add your onion, salt, rosemary and thyme and brown a little on the sides of the pork. Add remaining ingredients, ensuring the water cover the pork. Cover and place in the oven for 6-7 hours, making sure you flip the pork every hour or so.

After 5 or 6 hours, the meat should fall away from itself when you string it with two forks. Once it is all flakes, turn off the heat, put the lid back on and let it sit a further 30 minutes in the oven with the door closed (this allows the meat to absorb the liquid without continuing to cook meaning it will be super moist and tender).

Meanwhile, in a small pot, cook the onion with the oil for 1-2 minutes. Add the corn and thyme and cook for a further 2-4 minutes (depends how fresh the corn is) but basically until it turns a vibrant yellow colour. Take it off the heat and add the sea salt and coriander. Mix well and serve in a bowl.

Toast the tortillas on a lightly oiled pan for 1 minute or until golden, flip and brown the other side. Remove from the pan and leave until a tea towel or paper towel to keep warm. If you are using large tortillas, cut them into quarters now.

To assemble, place a tortilla in your hand of arrange them to sit in a wedged plate. Place about a tablespoon or two of meat into the center followed by a teaspoon or two of corn salsa. Squeeze fresh lime and sprinkle coriander over to finish and eat right away. I love a pureed mix of tomatoes, kidney and black beans to serve alongside or a basic pica-di-gio is also great.

Note; this amount of meat serves at least 12 portions. It’s great for large dinner parties, meal prep and to freeze for later use. You need about 2 cups of cooked pulled pork for the amount of tortillas/corn salsa.