Mayan Braised Pork Tacos

I am a firm believer that Mexican food is one of the superior cuisines. There is no lack of fresh produce, whole grains, and quality meats and other proteins utilized in so many flavour-packed ways. Tacos, of course, are no exception. Tacos are perfect. You can put ANYTHING in a taco and you just know it will be a delicious, fun meal.

These tacos are inspired by the Mayan way of braising pork. Citrus, chilies, and a unique mix of spices set this dish apart. Also, it doesn’t hurt that it is quite straight-forward to make. Because there are so few components to this dish, it is important to get good quality ingredients. Go to the farmers market or focus on finding ingredients that are organic, local, and fresh at the grocery store or butcher shop. Even better, use fresh produce from your own garden. Trust me, it makes a difference!

Like I said, the recipe is quite straight forward, however it takes up to 3 1/2 hours to braise. This makes it great for dinner parties! Put it on earlier in the day before the guests arrive, because when they do everything will be ready and the dishes will all be done.

I find the easiest way to prepare corn tortillas is charring them straight over a flame. If you have a gas stove top, great. If you have a cast iron grill, that will work too. Really any kind of grill will work if you don’t have an open flame, but open flame is best. Just remember, the corn tortillas need to be cooked, or they will fall apart in your hands and all you’ll have is a big mess!

If there is a bit too much liquid left in the pot after you’ve taken the meat out of the oven, no problem! Just put your dutch oven on the stove, set at medium heat, and reduce. You don’t want to pour it out because you will be losing the delicious sauce that sets this dish apart.

Enjoy with any toppings you like, but I suggest keeping them simple and to a minimum. The meat is so flavourful that you don’t want to overcrowd your taco with other elements. Here I used raw, diced onion and jalapeno, fresh cilantro, and a simple guacamole.

*serves 6

1 pork butt or shoulder (2-3 lbs)

2 oranges

2 limes

1 medium onion

4 cloves garlic

1-2 bird’s eye or red cherry chilis

3/4 cup chicken broth (see this recipe to make your own)

1 tbsp paprika

2 tsp smoked paprika

2 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp ground cloves

2 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground

2 tsp neutral oil

Preheat your oven to 300 C.

Slice onion into thin half rings and peel and crush the entire cloves of garlic with the side of your knife. Slice the bird’s eye chilis into thin rings and set aside with the prepared onions and garlic.

Juice 2 oranges and 2 limes into a bowl and set aside.

Mix all spices, salt, and pepper together in a small bowl and set aside. Rub the spices on the exterior of the pork and massage them in for a minute, set aside.

Heat a dutch oven on the stove top to medium-high with the neutral oil. When it starts to shimmer, you can go ahead and sear the pork. Sear each side of the pork for about 30 seconds and then put it back on its plate and set aside once again.

Decrease the heat to medium and add 1/2 cup chicken broth to deglaze the dutch oven. Add the onions, garlic, and chilis. Cook until the onions have softened slightly, 3-4 minutes. Add the remaining 1/4 cup of chicken broth and the citrus juice. Now you can place the pork in the centre of the dutch oven and cover with the lid.

Braise the pork in the oven for 3 - 3 1/2 hours, checking for the first time after 3 hours. The meat should fall apart when prodded with a fork.

When it is ready, use two forks to pull the pork apart into shreds right in the dutch oven with all the juices. Mix it all up and you are ready to eat! *If the pork is too moist or if there is too much liquid in the pot, you can put the dutch oven on medium heat on the stove top for 10 minutes to reduce.

Enjoy with your favourite corn tortillas, salsa fresca and avocado, or make it your own!