Americas Test Kitchen Spicy Mexican Shredded Pork Tostadas Ti Food

MEXICAN SLICED SPICED PORK SOFT TACOS WITH TEXAS OVEN FRIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 500 degrees F. Heat a grill pan to high.
• Cut potatoes into Texas fries, 10 per potato. Coat in extra-virgin olive oil, about 2 to 3 tablespoons, then season with chipotle powder, salt and pepper and roast 25 minutes, turning once.
• Toast pumpkin seeds in a small skillet 2 minutes then grind in food processor or spice mill or a coffee bean grinder. Mix the ground pumpkin seeds with cumin and coriander. Season the tenderloin with salt and pepper and rub with the spices. Rub the grill pan with extra-virgin olive oil and grill pork tenderloins 20 minutes.
• Heat a skillet over medium-high heat with a tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, a turn of the pan. Add the chopped onion, garlic, jalapeno and cook a few minutes while you chop tomatillos. Add the tomatillos, season with salt and pepper and cook 7 to 8 minutes. Stir in lime zest and juice and cilantro and remove from heat.
• While salsa is cooking, toss the cabbage with sliced onion.
• Wrap the tortillas in damp clean towel and warm in microwave 2 minutes or put in the oven after you remove potatoes for 1 to 2 minutes.
• Thinly slice pork and serve 1/2 tenderloin per person. Wrap pork slices in soft tacos with salsa and some shredded cabbage and red onions. Serve with Texas chipotle fries.

SHREDDED PORK TACOS

Steps:

• For the pulled pork: Heat the vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant and slightly softened, about 2 more minutes. Add the achiote paste and mix well to incorporate. Add the orange and pineapple juices and bring to a boil. Once it boils, turn the heat off and carefully transfer to a blender. Cool. Process the mixture until smooth, about 2 minutes. Set aside.
• Sprinkle the pork butt heavily with salt and pepper on all sides. Arrange the orange skins on the bottom of a 5 1/2- to 6-quart slow cooker, skin-side up (this adds more flavor to the pork and ensures the meat will not dry out). Scatter the pork butt on top of the oranges. Pour the achiote puree inside the slow cooker. Cover the slow cooker and turn on to high heat. Let it cook until the pork is tender and ready to shred, about 5 hours.
• Turn the slow cooker off and remove the oranges from the pot and discard. Let the pork cool slightly before shredding. Using two forks or with clean hands, shred the pork. Return the shredded meat to the slow cooker filled with sauce and keep warm until ready to serve.
• For the pickled habaneros: Mix the habanero chiles, lime juice, olive oil, oregano and salt together in a small bowl. Mix well to incorporate. Let stand at least 20 minutes. They can be made 1 day ahead.
• For the pickled red onions: Mix the lime juice, olive oil, oregano, salt and onions together in a medium bowl. Mix well to incorporate. Let stand for 30 minutes. They can be made 1 day ahead.
• Serve the pork in the warmed corn tortillas with pickled habaneros and red onions, shredded cabbage and crema.

AUTHENTIC COCHINITA PIBIL (SPICY MEXICAN PULLED PORK)

Steps:

• Combine the onion, habanero peppers, lime juice, and salt in a bowl; cover and refrigerate while preparing and cooking the pork. Use rubber gloves when preparing the habanero peppers and avoid touching your eyes, nose, or skin while slicing peppers.
• Place the guajillo peppers in a bowl; pour enough hot water over the peppers to cover. Allow to soak until the peppers are softened, about 10 minutes.
• Heat the oil in a large skillet at medium-high heat. Season pork with salt and pepper; cook in the hot oil until completely browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer the pork to a slow cooker.
• Combine the guajillo peppers, orange juice, vinegar, garlic, and achiote paste in a blender; blend until smooth. Pour the sauce over the pork cubes in the slow cooker.
• Cook on High until the pork easily falls apart, 6 to 8 hours. Remove the pork to a serving dish and shred with 2 forks. Pour the achiote sauce over the shredded pork. To serve, top with the onion-habanero salsa.

MEXICAN STYLE SHREDDED PORK

Steps:

• Place the roast in a slow cooker, and season with salt. Place chile peppers and garlic on top of roast. Pour in the chipotle sauce and 1/2 cup water.
• Cover, and cook 7 hours on Low.
• In a pot, bring remaining 2 3/4 cups water and rice to a boil. Mix in the lime juice and cilantro. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 20 minutes.
• Remove roast from the slow cooker, and use two forks to shred. Return pork to the slow cooker, and allow to sit 15 minutes to absorb some of the liquid. Serve over the cooked rice.

MEXICAN SHREDDED PORK

Steps:

• In a large skillet place corn oil and bring to high heat (careful!). Sear pork butt on all sides. Should be browned on all sides.
• Let pork butt rest on cutting board until cool enough to handle. Rub cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper on all sides of pork.
• In large cast iron or equivalent make dutch oven style pan, place chicken stock. Add pork butt.
• Peel and slice into disk onion. Place onion on top of pork.
• Open can of poblanos and remove peppers, save sauce. Place poblanos on onions.
• Cover pan and set burner to lowest setting (May also be done in oven) allow to slow cook.
• Periodically it may be necessary to remove excess fluid from pan as meat cooks down.
• After approx 4 hours check to see if meat falls apart when prodded with fork. (Don't worry if it doesn't. I was told 4 hours of cooking time, my first time it took closer to eight before it flaked apart with a fork) If it doesn't flake apart, continue to cook covered and check each hour.
• When meat falls apart, remove any bones. Drain off liquid. Stir in poblano sauce left from can.
• You may use immediately for tacos, burritos, enchiladas, flautas, or any other Mexican dish requiring shredded pork.
• I recommend adding a dash of rock salt. Keep refrigerated until needed. This meat easily reheats for that quick taco fix.
• Note: EXPERIMENT! I substitute Beer for the chicken stock. Add a chunk of fatty beef that has been seered on all sides to the pot, and WOW! I also add a few fresh Jalepenos cut in half with the tops removed. See what works for you.

AMERICA'S TEST KITCHEN SPICY MEXICAN SHREDDED PORK TOSTADAS - TI

Steps:

• Bring pork, quartered onion, smashed garlic, thyme, 1 tsp salt and 6 cups water to simmer in large saucepan over medium-high heat, skimming off any foam that rises to the surface. Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover and cook until pork is tender, 75-90 minutes. Drain pork, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid. Discard onion, garlic and thyme. Return pork to saucepan and using potato masher, mash until shredded into rough 1/2" pieces. Set aside.
• Heat olive oil in 12" nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add shredded pork, chopped onion and oregano; cook, stirring often until pork is well browned and crisp, 7-10 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
• Stir in tomato sauce, chipotle powder, reserved pork cooking liquid and bay leaves; simmer until almost all liquid has evaporated, 5-7 minutes. Remove and discard bay leaves and season to taste with salt.
• To fry tostadas, heat vegetable oil in 8" heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat to 350 degrees. Using fork, poke center of each tortilla 3-4 times (to prevent puffing and allow for even cooking). Fry 1 at a time, holding tortilla down to keep it submerged. Drain on paper towel lined plate and season with salt to taste.
• Spoon small amount of shredded pork onto center of each tostada and serve with garnishes.

MEXICAN PORK AND PASTA

Steps:

• In a large skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Add onion and green pepper; cook until tender. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato sauce, pasta, brown sugar, chili powder and salt; cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until pasta is tender. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese if desired.

MEXICAN PORK

Steps:

• Mix pork, salsa and chilies in 3 ½ to 4 quart slow cooker.
• Cover and cook on low heat setting 6 to 8 hours or until pork is tender. Stir in beans. Cover and cook on low heat setting about 5 minutes or until hot. Sprinkle with cheese.
• Serve over rice, sprinkle with cheese. Excellent topped with guacamole and sour cream.

SHREDDED PORK TACOS

Steps:

• In a skillet, brown pork in oil. Remove from pan and keep warm. In same skillet, saute onion and garlic in drippings until tender. Stir in the tomato sauce, chilies, chili powder, salt, oregano, cumin and pepper. Add pork; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until pork is tender., Cool slightly; shred with two forks. Return to sauce; heat through. Serve in tortillas with lettuce and tomato if desired.

MEXICAN PORK

Steps:

• Cut roast in half; place in a 4- or 5-qt. slow cooker. Top with enchilada sauce, green pepper, onion and garlic. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or until meat is tender. , Remove roast; cool slightly. Skim fat from cooking juices. Remove meat from bone; discard bone. Shred pork with 2 forks and return to slow cooker., Stir in the cilantro, lime juice and lime zest; heat through. Serve with a slotted spoon on tortillas, if desired, with toppings of your choice.

SPICY PORK TACOS (AL PASTOR) - AMERICAS TEST KITCHEN RECIPE

Steps:

• 1. Toast guajillos in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until softened and fragrant, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer to large plate and, when cool enough to handle, remove stems. 2. Bring toasted guajillos, water, tomatoes, garlic, bay leaves, 2 teaspoons salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, sugar, cumin, and cloves to simmer in now-empty Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until guajillos are softened and tomatoes mash easily, about 20 minutes. 3. While sauce simmers, trim excess fat from exterior of pork, leaving ¼-inch-thick fat cap. Slice pork against grain into 1/2-inch-thick slabs. 4. Transfer guajillo-tomato mixture to blender and process until smooth, about 1 minute. Strain puree through fine-mesh strainer, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Return puree to pot, submerge pork slices in liquid, and bring to simmer over medium heat. Partially cover, reduce heat, and gently simmer until pork is tender but still holds together, 90 to 105 minutes, flipping and rearranging pork halfway through cooking. (Pork can be left in sauce, cooled to room temperature, and refrigerated, covered, for up to 2 days.) 5. Transfer pork to large plate, season both sides with salt, and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Whisk sauce to combine. Transfer 1/2 cup to bowl for grilling; pour off all but 1/2 cup remaining sauce from pot and reserve for another use. Squeeze 2 lime wedges into sauce in pot and add spent wedges; season with salt to taste. 6A. FOR A CHARCOAL GRILL: Open bottom vent halfway. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (6 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent halfway. Heat grill until hot, about 5 minutes. 6B. FOR A GAS GRILL: Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Turn all burners to medium. 7. Clean and oil cooking grate. Brush 1 side of pork with ¼ cup reserved sauce. Place pork on 1 side of grill, sauce side down, and cook until well browned and crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Brush pork with remaining ¼ cup reserved sauce, flip, and continue to cook until second side is well browned and crisp, 5 to 7 minutes longer. Transfer to cutting board. Meanwhile, brush both sides of pineapple rings with vegetable oil and season with salt to taste. Place on other half of grill and cook until pineapple is softened and caramelized, 5 to 7 minutes per side; transfer pineapple to cutting board. 8. Coarsely chop grilled pineapple and transfer to serving bowl. Using tongs or carving fork to steady hot pork, slice each piece crosswise into 1/8-inch pieces. Bring remaining 1/2 cup sauce in pot to simmer, add sliced pork, remove pot from heat, and toss to coat pork well. Season with salt to taste. 9. Spoon small amount of pork into each warm tortilla and serve, passing chopped pineapple, remaining 6 lime wedges, onion, and cilantro separately.

TEXICAN SHREDDED PORK

Steps:

• Heat oil in heavy Dutch oven over medium heat.
• Add onion and jalapeno and cook until soft, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.
• Add pork and stir until brown on all sides, about 7 minutes.
• Mix in chile powder and next 6 ingredients (cumin through allspice) and cook 2 minutes.
• Add garlic and tomato paste and cook 3 minutes.
• Stir in all remaining ingredients, except cilantro; reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 1 hour.
• Uncover and simmer until pork is tender and shreds easily, about 1 hour.
• Remove pork from liquid using slotted spoon and set aside.
• Increase heat to medium and boil cooking liquid until reduced to 1 1/2 cups, about 35 minutes.
• Shred pork using fingers; mix into sauce.
• (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate;rewarm over medium-low heat, stirring frequently.).
• Spoon into serving bowl and sprinkle with cilantro.