I adore braising, especially lamb and pork.
The Braised Pork Taco has been a part of my culinary repertoire for years.
• 2 ancho chiles
•omg2 dried chipotle chiles
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 (3 to 5 pound) bone-in pork shoulder
• Salt and pepper
• 2 onions, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 4 sprigs thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained and hand crushed
• 1 orange, halved
• 1 lime, halved
• Tomatillo Salsa Verde, for garnish, recipe follows
Put the chiles into a small bowl and cover with hot water; set aside. In a large heavy bottomed pan with a tight fitting lid, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil. Generously season the pork with salt and pepper. Brown the meat well on both sides, about 5 minutes per side; remove the meat and set aside. Add the onion, pepper, garlic, cumin, thyme, and bay leaf; fry until softened, about 5 minutes, scraping up the browned bits in the pan. Stem and seed the soaked chiles reserving the soaking liquid; hand tear them into the pot. Return the meat to the pan along with any accumulated juices. Top the meat with the tomatoes. Pour in the chili soaking liquid, straining out any seeds, until it almost covers the meat; add water if you need more liquid. Squeeze the orange and lime juices into the pot and add the rinds. Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for about 1 1/2 hours, or until the pork is very tender. Remove the meat to a platter and cover to keep warm. Strain the braising liquid and reserve.
Shred the pork. Add some of the reserved braising liquid if the meat is dry. Take a tortilla and place about 2 tablespoons of the mixture on top. Garnish with the avocado, radishes, and Salsa Verde; fold the sides up and serve.
Salsa:
• 1 pound tomatillos, husked and rinsed
• 1 jalapeno, stemmed
• 1 small Spanish onion, quartered
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped
• 1 lime, juiced
Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the tomatillos, jalapeno, onion, garlic, and 1 tablespoon salt. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 5 to 10 minutes until the tomatillos are soft but have not burst. Add the cooked vegetables to a blender with the cilantro leaves and lime juice. Pour in 1/4 cup of the reserved cooking liquid and process to a coarse puree. Taste and adjust seasoning with more cilantro, lime juice, or salt.
Braised Pork Tacos Recipe : Tyler Florence : Food Network