Pork Chile Verde Tacos
Over the Thanksgiving holiday, my family and I did our fair share of feasting. And I'm not talking about just the usual Turkey Day spread (which we of course partook in). We went the extra mile with our favorite eating holiday and made it a full on eating weekend! But what is new. To be a Davidson is to be a hardcore food lover. Plain and simple!
To kick things off, we went to our favorite Mexican restaurant, Don Juan's which opened up a new location closer to my parent's house in Oly. You might remember me talking about this unassuming Mexican restaurant when I tried to recreate a dish from their menu: Chicken Tinga.
So, surprise surprise, here we are again. After another delicious trip to Don Juan's, home to the best Mexican food I've ever tasted, I'm inspired to recreate another dish off their menu: pork chile verde tacos.
Even if I tried, I could never come close to the chile verde at Don Juan's. But I have to say, I made a pretty good dupe! Blistered tomatillos, poblanos, jalapeños and garlic create the base for a bold marinade. Combine it with a few simple pantry ingredients and spices, add seasoned chunks of pork shoulder and, before you know it, you have yourself some succulent, flavorful chile verde.
I served my imposter Don Juan's chile verde up taco style, because is there a better way to enjoy slow cooked meats?! The answer is no. Crunchy, bitter red cabbage, tangy pickled red onions and creamy avocado on a toasty corn tortilla complete this perfect home-cooked Mexican meal.
Pork Chile Verde Tacos
Ingredients
1 3-4 pound boneless pork shoulder
2 pounds tomatillos, skins removed and cut in half
2 jalapenos
2 poblano peppers
6 cloves garlic (skins left on)
1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon salt plus more for seasoning pork.
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Juice of one lime
1 cup chicken broth
For taco assembly
Good corn tortillas, such as La Tortilla factory
Chopped red cabbage
Diced avocado
Pickled red onion - try this quick pickling method!
Cilantro
Lime wedges
Directions
Line a baking sheet with foil and set oven to broil. Lay tomatillos cut side down, whole jalapenos, poblanos and garlic cloves (unpeeled) on the baking sheet. Broil for about 10 minutes, turning poblanos and jalepenos once, until skin is blistered. Immediately remove poblanos and jalapenos from baking sheet and place in a large ziploc bag. Seal and let sit on counter for about 20 minutes - this allows the pepers to steam, making the skin easier to remove. While peppers are steaming, cut pork shoulder into 4-6 smaller chunks. Pat dry and season generously with salt.
Remove skin from poblanos and jalepenos and chop roughly. Peel skin off garlic cloves. Add tomatillos, poblanos, jalapenos, garlic cloves, cumin, oregano, salt, cilantro, lime and chicken broth to a blender and puree. Add mixture to a crockpot along with chopped onion. and seasoned pork pieces. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, or high for 3-4 hours. Remove from crockpot with sauce. Serve immediately with taco assembly ingredients, or put in a shallow baking dish and bake at 375 for about 15 minutes to get crispy. Enjoy!