From inthekitchenwithkath.com
(Adapted from a recipe by Elise Bauer on simplyrecipes.com)
If you don’t have a slow cooker you could try a method similar to the one I used for Pulled Pork in the Oven. After the roast has been refrigerated with the spices, brown it in a large pot. (A Dutch oven would be ideal.) When it's browned all over, add about 1/2 cup water to the pot, stirring up all of the tasty bits on the bottom. Sprinkle the reserved spice mix over the roast. Cover it with a lid or as tightly as you can with aluminum foil and roast at 300˚ for 1½ hours. Turn the roast over, cover it again and continue to roast for another 2½ to 3 hours or until it is fork tender. Because this recipe doesn’t have any added sauce I would leave it covered the whole time so it doesn’t dry out.
Serves 6 – 8 (or more with a larger roast)
4 tablespoons chili powder (I use a salt-free blend.)
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon sugar (I used maple sugar.)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon dried oregano crumbled with your fingers into smaller bits
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
Scant pinch of ground cloves
3¼ pound boneless pork shoulder roast
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Corn tortillas (at least 2 – 3 per serving, depending on whether you want single or double tortillas for each taco)
Optional toppings
Avocado, sliced
Cilantro
Radishes, sliced
Quick Pickled Onions (recipe follows at the end of the taco recipe)
Salsa or Pico de Gallo (We had delicious homemade salsa that Laura and Byron made using peppers from their garden! Yum!)
1. The day before you want to serve the tacos, mix all of the spices together and rub them generously all over the pork roast. (If the roast has been tied, cut the string off first.) Reserve any leftover spice for the next day.
2. Cover the roast and refrigerate overnight.
3. Heat the oil in a pan and brown the pork roast on all sides. This will take 15 – 20 minutes.
4. Put the browned roast in the slow cooker and add in as much of the remaining oil and spices in the pan as you can.
5. Sprinkle the rest of the reserved spices over the roast. Put the slow cooker cover on and cook on Low for 6 – 10 hours, until it is fork tender. It should be falling-apart done. (It took 6 ½ hours in my 6 quart slow cooker. It would have needed 10 hours in my older 4 quart cooker which cooks at a lower temperature.)
6. Remove the pork from the slow cooker and put it on a cutting board. Using two forks, shred it into bite-sized pieces.
7. Stir the pork back into the spicy juices in the slow cooker. It can be kept on Warm until it’s time to serve.
8. Heat the tortillas using your favorite method. I like to heat them for about 30 seconds on each side in a hot cast iron skillet. I put them in foil as I go to keep them warm.
9. Assemble the tacos using your favorite toppings and enjoy the feast!
Quick Pickled Onions
This is adapted from a Bon Appétit recipe.
½ cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
1 red onion, sliced in half vertically and then sliced in thin horizontal slices
1. Whisk the vinegar, honey, and salt together in a large bowl until the honey and salt are dissolved.
2. Add the onion slices. Cover and leave at room temperature for 1 – 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
3. Drain for immediate use, or refrigerate for up to 2 weeks. Drain before using.