Authentic pork tacos are a delicious and versatile dish that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. They are made with a combination of tender, flavorful pork, a variety of fresh toppings, and a delicious homemade sauce. Whether you are a seasoned taco enthusiast or new to the world of Mexican cuisine, this article will provide you with the essential tips and tricks to create the perfect authentic pork tacos. From selecting the right cut of pork to mastering the art of marinating and cooking the meat, we will guide you through the entire process. So grab your apron and get ready to embark on a culinary adventure that will leave your taste buds craving for more!
Here are our top 8 tried and tested recipes!
MEXICAN-STYLE PORK TACOS (TACOS AL PASTOR) RECIPE BY TASTY
It's Taco Tuesday! Or maybe it's taco ANYday because let's face it: there's never NOT a good day to eat a taco. But you don't want something basic. You want the real deal, and we're here to make that dream come true. With our super flavorful tacos al pastor, you're going to feel like you're at a food truck on a beach, chowing down on some of the best eats around.
Provided by Alvin Zhou
Categories Dinner
Yield 10 servings
Number Of Ingredients 18
Steps:
- Slice the pork shoulder into about 1-centimeter (¼ in) slices, then transfer to a large dish or bowl. In a medium bowl, combine the achiote paste, chili powder, garlic powder, oregano, cumin, salt, pepper, vinegar, and pineapple juice, mashing and stirring until smooth with no lumps. Pour the marinade over the pork slices, then toss to make sure they are coated on all sides. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 3 days.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
- Place a slice or two of the pineapple on the baking sheet. Take a wooden skewer and push it directly in the middle of the pineapple. Remove the pork from the fridge and push the slices through the skewer, layering one after the other until there is a 1-inch (2 ½ cm) gap at the top. Push another pineapple slice on top.
- Bake for about 1½ hours, until the pork is slightly charred on the outside and deep red. Rest the meat for about 10 minutes, then carve off thin slices of pork and roasted pineapple.
- To assemble, place some pork on the tortillas, followed by a few pieces of pineapple, a sprinkling of onion, a pinch of cilantro, and a spoonful of salsa, and some diced avocado. Serve with lime wedges.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts : Calories 597 calories, Carbohydrate 29 grams, Fat 32 grams, Fiber 5 grams, Protein 48 grams, Sugar 10 grams
AUTHENTIC PORK TACOS
The tastiest and most authentic pork tacos but be sure you have plenty of time to prepare this tasty recipe
Provided by ChefDerekHobbs
Categories Mexican
Time 6h30m
Yield 23 ???, 25-30 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 16
Steps:
- Get a large stock pot.
- Trim most of the big pieces of fat from the pork butt and add to stock pot.
- add chicken broth and water to cover.
- add all spices listed above.
- chop and de-seed all peppers, use gloves while doing so and add to pot.
- add can of tomatoes.
- add orange juice.
- add salt (adjust later).
- cook for 6 hours or until pork is tender enough to shred.
- Shred pork and assemble tacos with corn tortilla wraps and Mexican farmers cheese and fresh Pico salsa.
- Disclaimer ( You may need to experiment with measurements since I usually eyeball all of this and taste as I go).
Nutrition Facts : Calories 862.2, Fat 58.1, SaturatedFat 19.9, Cholesterol 240.7, Sodium 288.9, Carbohydrate 10.2, Fiber 2, Sugar 6, Protein 70.7
PULLED PORK TACOS
Provided by Giada De Laurentiis
Categories main-dish
Time 8h45m
Yield 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 20
Steps:
- For the pulled pork: In a small bowl, mix together the cumin, coriander, salt and oregano. Rub the spice mixture all over the pork roast.
- Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork roast and brown on all sides, about 3 minutes per side.
- Meanwhile, in a 3 1/2-quart slow cooker, combine the onion, garlic, chipotle and adobo sauce, beer, and orange zest. Add the browned roast along with any pan juices. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 6 hours.
- When the pork is cooked and fork tender, shred it using two forks. Add the shredded meat back to the slow cooker and toss with the onions and cooking juices. Keep warm in the slow cooker for people to help themselves and assemble the tacos with all the garnishes.
VERDE PORK STREET TACOS
Provided by Food Network
Time 6h30m
Yield Serves 6-8
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- 1. Season pork generously with salt and pepper. In a skillet over medium high heat, sear pork until brown on all sides. Transfer to slow cooker, pour salsa verde over top and cover. Cook for up to 8 hours on low, or 5-6 hours on high. Once cooked, shred meat with two forks inside the slow cooker. 2. Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, combine sugar and vinegar. Add red onions and marinate for at least 30 minutes or up to 8 hours in the refrigerator. To serve, fill tortillas with the pork and top with pickled red onions, crumbled Oaxaca cheese and chopped cilantro.
- 1. Great for a dinner, or a get-together! 2. This is great in tacos, but can also be used for enchiladas, burritos or even a nacho topping!
SLOW-COOKER PORK TACOS
For an easy Mexican meal, set and forget seasoned pork shoulder for this Slow-Cooker Pork Tacos recipe from Food Network Magazine.
Provided by Food Network Kitchen
Categories main-dish
Time 5h36m
Yield about 8 servings
Number Of Ingredients 17
Steps:
- Put the ancho and pasilla chiles and the garlic in a bowl; add 2 to 3 tablespoons water. Microwave on high until soft and pliable, 2 to 3 minutes. Stem and seed the chiles; peel the garlic. Transfer the chiles and garlic to a blender.
- Add the chipotles, onion, 2 tablespoons olive oil, honey, vinegar, 1 tablespoon salt and the oregano to the blender; puree until smooth. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over high heat; add the chile sauce and fry, stirring, until thick and fragrant, about 8 minutes. Pour in the broth and reduce until slightly thickened.
- Season the pork all over with salt and pepper and transfer to a large slow cooker. Add the bay leaves and cinnamon stick, then pour in the sauce. Cover and cook on high until the meat is tender, about 5 hours. (Or cook the meat in a large Dutch oven, covered, for 1 hour 45 minutes at 350 degrees; uncover and cook 30 more minutes.)
- Discard the bay leaves and cinnamon stick. Shred the pork with 2 forks; season with salt and pepper. Serve the shredded pork in the tortillas, along with toppings.
SIZZLING PORK TACOS
Heavily spiced strips of pork shoulder fried crisp in a pan. Warm corn tortillas. Tomatillo salsa and hot sauce. Pair the tacos with a pot of garlicky black beans, an avocado salad and mangoes for dessert, and you've got an incredible dinner for about an hour's work. Go to.
Provided by David Tanis
Categories easy, lunch, main course
Time 30m
Yield 4 to 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Season the pork generously with salt and pepper. Add the garlic, chile powder and cumin, and mix well, massaging the seasoning into the meat with fingers. Let the meat marinate for at least an hour, or refrigerate overnight.
- Heat the oil in a wide cast iron skillet over medium heat. When the oil looks wavy, add the meat and let it sizzle, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Turn off the heat and keep meat warm.
- Heat the tortillas on an ungreased hot griddle or cast iron pan. Turn them once or twice until hot and slightly puffed. As they come off the griddle, stack them on a cloth napkin to steam, with another napkin on top.
- To assemble the tacos, stack 2 hot tortillas on a plate. Spoon on a little sizzled pork, then top with a spoonful of tomatillo salsa and another of salsa cruda. Garnish with radishes and cilantro sprigs. Serve and eat immediately.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 330, UnsaturatedFat 15 grams, Carbohydrate 1 gram, Fat 27 grams, Fiber 0 grams, Protein 20 grams, SaturatedFat 10 grams, Sodium 287 milligrams, Sugar 0 grams
SHREDDED PORK TACOS
For best results marinade for a couple of hours before putting it in the crock pot. I suggest serving this with peach salsa or another type of fruit salsa. My husband likes to substitute beer for the water.
Provided by Queen Dana
Categories Mexican
Time 3h
Yield 4 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Put all the ingredients, in no specific order, in the crock pot and cook on low for about 3 hours or until done.
- Once the pork is cooked all the way through shred and serve on warm tortillas with your choice of toppings.
AUTHENTIC TACOS AL PASTOR
Tacos al pastor is a quintessential Mexican dish, with tender pork and pineapple marinated in a savory and aromatic chile sauce. Serve with warm corn tortillas, tomatillos salsa, and lemon or lime wedges.
Provided by docmancito
Categories World Cuisine Recipes Latin American Mexican
Time 5h19m
Yield 10
Number Of Ingredients 16
Steps:
- Cook tomato on a ridged grill pan over medium-high heat until slightly blackened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool until easily handled. Peel off skin and remove seeds.
- Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add guajillo and ancho chile peppers; cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Drain.
- Combine tomato flesh, softened chile peppers, 2 slices pineapple, orange juice, quartered onion, vinegar, chipotle peppers, salt, garlic, cloves, cumin seeds, and oregano in a blender; blend until smooth.
- Arrange pork slices in a glass or ceramic baking dish. Pour blended mixture over pork, ensuring all sides are evenly coated. Cover baking dish with plastic wrap.
- Marinate pork in the refrigerator, 4 hours to overnight.
- Cook remaining pineapple slices on a ridged grill pan over medium-high heat until slightly blackened and soft, about 5 minutes per side. Chop into small pieces.
- Wipe out grill pan and preheat over medium-high heat. Cook marinated pork in the hot pan, turning once, until browned, 4 to 5 minutes.
- Chop pork coarsely into small pieces against the grain. Serve with pineapple, chopped onion, and cilantro.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 204.3 calories, Carbohydrate 23 g, Cholesterol 43.5 mg, Fat 5.6 g, Fiber 3.1 g, Protein 16.9 g, SaturatedFat 1.9 g, Sodium 748.1 mg, Sugar 15.9 g
Tips for Making Authentic Pork Tacos:
- Choose the right cut of pork: Pork shoulder (also known as pork butt) is the best cut for carnitas because it is well-marbled and flavorful. Other good options include pork loin or pork tenderloin.
- Use a Dutch oven or slow cooker: A Dutch oven or slow cooker is ideal for cooking carnitas because it allows the pork to cook slowly and evenly. This results in tender, juicy meat that is easy to shred.
- Add plenty of spices: Carnitas is traditionally seasoned with a combination of chili powder, cumin, oregano, garlic, and salt. You can also add other spices, such as chipotle powder, paprika, or cinnamon, to taste.
- Cook the pork until it is fall-apart tender: The pork is done cooking when it is fall-apart tender. This usually takes about 2-3 hours in a Dutch oven or 6-8 hours in a slow cooker.
- Shred the pork: Once the pork is cooked, use two forks to shred it into small pieces.
- Serve the pork tacos with your favorite toppings: Carnitas tacos can be served with a variety of toppings, such as guacamole, salsa, sour cream, cheese, and cilantro. You can also serve them with rice and beans.
Conclusion:
Authentic pork tacos are a delicious and flavorful dish that can be easily made at home. By following these tips, you can make carnitas that is tender, juicy, and full of flavor. Serve the carnitas tacos with your favorite toppings and enjoy!
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