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Pork Tacos

These pork tacos, made with pork, beer, spices, and soft tortillas, are wicked tender and almost like tacos al pastor. Slather, bite, repeat.

Prep Time
25 mins
Cook Time
3 hrs
Total Time
9 hrs
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 537 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Tex-Mex

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons fine sea salt
  • One (6-to 7-pound) boneless pork butt or shoulder
  • 2 ounces (about 6 tablespoons) New Mexico red chile powder or standard ground chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 6 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • One (12-ounce) bottle brown ale such as Newcastle
  • 1 large yellow onion quartered
  • 1 orange (preferably organic), unpeeled and quartered
  • 1/2 fresh pineapple cut into chunks (2 to 2 1/2 cups; optional)
  • Cabbage leaves, warm corn tortillas, salsa, radish slices, jalapeños, sour cream, queso fresco, lime wedges, cilantro leaves for serving

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. To make the pork tacos in your slow cooker, see the Slow Cooker Variation in the FAQs above. To make the carnitas in the oven, combine the sugar and salt in a small bowl. Place the pork in a roasting pan or Dutch oven and rub the sugar and salt mixture all over it. Cover and refrigerate the pork for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.
  2. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
  3. Remove the pork from the pan. Pour any liquid that's accumulated in the pan down the drain. Gently rinse the pork, pat it dry, and return it to the pan.
  4. Combine the red chile powder, oregano, garlic, cumin, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Rub the spice mixture all over the pork. (The spice mixture will probably thickly cover the pork.) Pour the beer over the pork, cover the pan tightly with its lid or a couple of sheets of aluminum foil, and roast for 2 hours.
  5. Uncover the pork and toss the onion and 3 orange quarters into the pan. If using the pineapple, add the chunks to the roasting pan.
  6. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F (163°F) and roast the pork, uncovered, until it's tender and easily pulled into fall-away-from-the-rest-of-the-pork-roast-with-a-fork submission, another 1 to 2 hours. If the fork test doesn’t work, cook for another 30 minutes and test again. Remove from the oven and let sit, covered or lightly tented with foil, for up to 30 minutes.
  7. Use a couple forks to gently pull apart the meat. Squeeze the orange juice from the remaining orange quarter over the shredded pork and pile it onto a platter. If desired, strain the cooking liquid from the pan and dribble some of it over the shredded pork to moisten it.
  8. Direct everyone at the table to place some roasted pork in a cabbage leaf or warm corn tortilla and top with salsa, radishes, jalapeños, sour cream, queso fresco, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime.

Notes

  • Let the meat cool--Let your pork roast cool slightly before shredding. It will be hot! Storage and freezing--This pork roast tacos recipe makes a lot of pulled pork. Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or can be portioned into resealable bags and frozen for up to 3 months. How to use leftovers--Use leftover pork taco meat for filling burritos, topping nachos, stuffing into grilled cheese sandwiches, or tucking into quesadillas. Dietary--To make this recipe gluten-free, use a gluten-free beer for cooking the pork. The pork tacos recipe is suitable for dairy-free diets if served without sour cream or cheese.
  • Let the meat cool--Let your pork roast cool slightly before shredding. It will be hot!
  • Storage and freezing--This pork roast tacos recipe makes a lot of pulled pork. Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or can be portioned into resealable bags and frozen for up to 3 months.
  • How to use leftovers--Use leftover pork taco meat for filling burritos, topping nachos, stuffing into grilled cheese sandwiches, or tucking into quesadillas.
  • Dietary--To make this recipe gluten-free, use a gluten-free beer for cooking the pork. The pork tacos recipe is suitable for dairy-free diets if served without sour cream or cheese.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1portion Calories 537kcal (27%) Carbohydrates 22g (7%) Protein 79g (158%) Fat 13g (20%) Saturated Fat 4g (20%) Monounsaturated Fat 5g Trans Fat 0.1g Cholesterol 204mg (68%) Sodium 2921mg (122%) Fiber 4g (16%) Sugar 13g (26%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 8servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 537

% Daily Value*

Serving 1portion
Calories 537kcal 27%
Carbohydrates 22g 7%
Protein 79g 158%
Fat 13g 20%
Saturated Fat 4g 20%
Monounsaturated Fat 5g 25%
Trans Fat 0.1g 5%
Cholesterol 204mg 68%
Sodium 2921mg 122%
Fiber 4g 16%
Sugar 13g 26%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.