Crispy Pork Tacos

Tender pork gets crisped up and served in a charred flour tortilla along side fresh corn and onion sauté with roasted tomatillo salsa. Like to meal prep on the weekends? This recipe can be made ahead of and finished in a cast iron pan adding that street taco crispiness.

If you’re like me, you never get tired of tacos! In fact, I love creating new taco recipes using seasonal ingredients. This time it’s corn. Corn adds that nice crisp sweetness that pairs perfectly with charred meat.

I’m using a small one pound pork shoulder roast that I had in the freezer. I like to get a big pork shoulder roast and save a little piece for later when I need a quick meal. Usually you won’t find this small of a roast at the grocery, but you can just cut a large roast down and freeze the rest for another time OR adjust the recipe to double or triple for a large dinner.

As you know, if you’re a regular at The Herbalist & The Carnivore, I like to get straight to the recipe and get you cooking! Scroll down for the goods:

Related Recipes:

• Crispy Mexican Pizzas
• Rolled Tacos in Poblano Sauce
• Crunchy Fish Tacos
• SW Chopped Shrimp Tacos

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Crispy Pork Tacos

Tender pork gets crisped and served in a charred flour tortilla with corn relish and tomatillo salsa

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword tacos

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

• 1 lb pork shoulder roast cut in 1 inch cubes
• 1/2 onion cut in 1 inch wedges
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
• 1/3 cup triple sec Orange liqueur used in margaritas
• 2-4 cup water
• 8 medium flour tortillas grilled

Pork Rub

• 1 tbsp fresh garlic minced
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp dried Mexican oregano
• 1/4 tsp dried coriander
• 1/2 tsp achiote powder found in Mexican grocery aisle (if you can't find, o.k. to omit)

Corn Saute

• 2 ears sweet corn cut off the cob
• 1/2 yellow onion cut in 1/4 inch wedges
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• salt to taste

Tomatillo Salsa

• 5 tomatillos husk removed
• 1/2 yellow onion quartered
• 1/2 jalapeno
• 1 tsp honey
• 1/2 cup water
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Crispy Pork

• Combine all Pork Rub ingredients and massage into cubed pork.
• In a large pot over medium high heat, heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil. Add onion and cook for about 3 minutes. Remove onion to a bowl.
• Working in two batches, brown pork in oil left in pan from cooking onion. Remove the fist batch to the bowl with the onion. Repeat with second batch.
• Add orange juice and triple sec to the pot and scrape off browned bits from bottom of pot. Add browned pork and onion back to pot. Cover with water. Reduce heat to medium low. Simmer for about 1 1/2 hours or until for tender.
• Remove pork from pot, being careful to keep the cubed shape. Discard juices.
• Heat a cast iron pan (or large saute pan) over medium high heat. Add 1 tbsp vegetable oil. Place cooked pork cubes in cast iron pan and sear until crispy on the outside.
• Serve with flour tortillas, corn saute and tomatillo salsa.