Why These Pork Tacos Beat the Restaurant Version

By Brian Lagerstrom · 300 min

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Cut about 4–5 lb (1.8–2.3 kg) pork shoulder into 2–3 inch cubes and remove the bone.
2. Toss the pork with 50 g salt, 2 g dried oregano, 10 g onion powder and 30 g minced garlic so every piece is coated. Cure in the fridge for 1 hour.
3. Pack the pork in a single snug, even layer in a Dutch oven. Use slightly less meat if your pot is much smaller than 6.75 qt.
4. Add a cinnamon stick, the quartered and juiced orange, the bay leaves and 100 g water or stock. Cover and roast at 250°F for 3 hours, turning the pork pieces after 90 minutes.
5. The pork is done when it shreds easily when pulled apart with forks but does not fall apart.
6. Rest it covered at room temperature for 30–60 minutes, then refrigerate overnight.
7. When fully chilled, remove the pork from the pot and separate the rendered fat from the cooking liquid. Shred into a mix of medium chunks and fine strands, discarding pure-fat pieces.
8. Mix about 150 g rendered fat and 150 g cooking liquid into the shredded pork until evenly coated.
9. Press the pork flat in a nonstick pan over medium-high heat for about 90 seconds. Flip and fry another 90 seconds, until about 40% of the pork is golden and crispy. Splash in a little more cooking liquid to finish if desired.
10. Serve on warm flour tortillas with chopped white onion, cilantro and salsa taquera.

Summarized from Brian Lagerstrom's video. Watch it for the details.

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