Spicy Shredded Pork Tacos with Avocado

 

Spicy Shredded Pork Tacos with Avocado

 

Yield: 8-12 

Total Time: 4 hours

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil
4 lb pork shoulder, trimmed of excess fat
Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
Garlic powder, to taste
1/2 sweet yellow onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp cumin
2 tbsp oregano
1 (15 oz) can of fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 chipotle pepper, diced + 1 tsp of sauce (more if desired),
2 tbsp molasses
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
3 bay leaves

Other Ingredients:

Corn tortillas
Fresh cilantro, chopped
Avocado slices
Pepper Jack cheese, shredded
Roasted tomatillo salsa

 

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Heat some olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Simply season the pork shoulder all over with sea salt, freshly cracked pepper, and garlic powder, to taste. Sear all sides of the pork shoulder for a few minutes, or until golden brown.

Add the onion and cook, stirring often, for 2-3 minutes. Add the cumin, oregano, chili powder, and garlic then cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, chipotle pepper, molasses, apple cider vinegar. Stir until well combined, add the bay leaves, and cover with a lid. Place into the oven and cook for 2 hours. Remove the lid and flip the pork over. If it’s really thick, cut into thirds, and nestle the three portions down in the sauce. Place back into the oven and continue cooking for another 2 hours.

Remove from the oven and let it sit uncovered until cool. Remove the fatty pieces of the pork and throw them away. Shred the pork with two forks and coat evenly in the sauce.

Cook both sides of the tortillas in a dry skillet over medium heat for 45-60 seconds. Place some pork down the center of the tortilla then sprinkle with cilantro, add avocado slices, and top with a bit of shredded pepper jack cheese. Serve with roasted tomatillo salsa on the side. Enjoy!

 

Adapted recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net
Original recipe by Good Life Eats