Roast Pork Tacos With Tomatillo Salsa Food

PORK IN TOMATILLO SALSA

Steps:

• Season the pork with salt, garlic powder and pepper. Let sit for a few minutes.
• Preheat 4 tablespoons of oil in a large, heavy skillet to medium for a few minutes.
• Brown the pork as best you can on all sides in the hot oil.
• Pour in 3 cups of warm water. Stir well, scraping the bottom of pan to get all those bits of flavor off the bottom. Cover with tight lid and continue cooking at heat right below medium for about 45-60 minutes or until the liquid evaporates.
• While pork is cooking, add your tomatillos, jalapeños, onion and garlic to a pot of simmering water. Simmer for 10 minutes or just until tomatillos turn from bright green to olive green.
• Using a slotted spoon, transfer salsa ingredients to the blender. Add cilantro and salt to taste. Blend on high until very smooth. Set aside.
• Once all the liquid has evaporated from the pork, add the diced onion and garlic. Saute for 2 minutes. Pour in the salsa. Stir in the oregano and bay leaves. Reduce heat. If adding nopales, add them in right now. Cover and cook at a steady simmer for 20 minutes.

BRAISED PORK TACOS

Steps:

• 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.
• Put the masa harina in a bowl and mix in the salt. Add about 1 cup warm water and mix with your hands; add more water as needed until the dough comes together. Knead for a few minutes to smooth the dough out. The dough should be firm and springy and should not stick to your hands. Test by forming a small disk, if it cracks around the edges you need more water.
• Place a piece of heavy plastic (like from a garbage bag) onto a tortilla press. Form a 1 1/2-inch ball of dough and place it in the center of the press. Top with another piece of plastic, close the press, and push the lever down to form the tortilla. (Alternately, the dough balls can be rolled between plastic sheets with a rolling pin.) Open the press and remove the top layer of plastic. Carefully peel the tortilla off the bottom plastic and place it onto a hot, ungreased cast iron skillet; cook for about 1 to 2 minutes per side. Remove the tortilla and place it on a clean tea towel; keep it covered to keep it soft and pliable. Continue until you have used up all the dough.
• Yield: 20 (6-inch) tortillas
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 40 minutes
• 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.
• Yield: 2 cups

ROASTED TOMATILLO SALSA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Add the tomatillos to a baking sheet along with the jalapenos and onion wedges. Toss with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and roast about 7 minutes. Turn the vegetables, add the garlic and roast until everything is slightly softened and charred, another 7 to 8 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• Peel the garlic and remove the stems and seeds from the jalapenos. Add the roasted vegetables to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until still slightly chunky but well combined. Add the cilantro, lime juice and 1 teaspoon salt and pulse until incorporated. With the processor running, stream in the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil until the salsa is slightly runny but not smooth. At this point you can season with additional salt if desired.
• Serve with chips or as a salsa for tacos and burritos.

AL PASTOR TACOS WITH ROASTED TOMATILLO AVOCADO SALSA

Steps:

• To a blender, add the orange juice, vinegar, chili powder, garlic, salt, cumin, paprika, chiles, adobo sauce, chopped onions and chopped pineapple. Blend until smooth. Pour the marinade into a large resealable bag, and add the pork butt and oregano. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Remove the pork butt from the marinade and set onto a rack set in a roasting pan. Pour the chicken stock into the bottom of the pan and cover the dish with foil. Roast until an internal thermometer reads 185 degrees F, about 4 hours.
• Increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees F and cook for an additional 20 minutes to caramelize the pork. Remove from the oven and rest for 20 to 25 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat a grill to medium-high heat. Brush the pineapple wedges with vegetable oil, grill 2 to 3 minutes per side, and once cool enough to handle chop into a small dice.
• When ready to serve, carve the meat into 1/4- to 1/2-inch slices. Serve the pork in warmed corn tortillas; garnish with the remaining finely diced white onion, cilantro, lime wedges, diced grilled pineapple and Roasted Tomatillo Avocado Salsa.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Toss the tomatillos with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and place on a baking sheet. Roast until nicely charred, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
• Combine the tomatillos, 1/4 cup water, cumin, salt, avocado, garlic, jalapenos, onions, lime juice and cilantro in a blender and puree until completely smooth. Place in the refrigerator and allow the sauce to settle before serving.

STEAK TACOS WITH TOMATILLO SALSA

Steps:

• Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cumin seeds and toast, stirring occasionally, about 1 minute; transfer to a bowl. Add the garlic and chiles to the skillet. Cook, turning occasionally, until soft and blackened in spots, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a food processor and let cool. Add the cumin seeds, vegetable oil, 1/4 cup lime juice and the brown sugar and puree until smooth. Season with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and a few grinds of pepper. Transfer to a resealable plastic bag and add the steak, shaking well to coat. Refrigerate, 1 to 4 hours.
• Soak the onion in a bowl of cold water. Meanwhile, wipe out the skillet and heat over high heat. Cook the tomatillos, turning, until well charred, about 7 minutes. Transfer to a plate and let cool. Remove the charred husks and roughly chop the flesh. Drain the onion. Wipe out the food processor; add the tomatillos, onion, cilantro and the remaining 1 to 2 tablespoons lime juice and puree until smooth. Season with 3/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper; set aside.
• Meanwhile, bring the steak to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Preheat a grill to high. Remove the steak from the marinade and shake off any excess. Lightly oil the grill, then grill the steak until charred on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Flip and cook until charred on the other side, 1 to 3 more minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 10 minutes.
• Warm the tortillas on the grill. Thinly slice the steak against the grain. Double up the tortillas and fill with the steak and tomatillo salsa. Top with cheese and radishes.

DEE'S ROAST PORK FOR TACOS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
• Place the roast on top of a large piece of aluminum foil. In a small bowl, stir together the green chiles, chili powder, oregano, taco seasoning and garlic. Rub onto the roast. Wrap foil around the roast so that it is completely covered, using additional aluminum foil if necessary. Place on top of a roasting rack in a baking dish, or place a cookie sheet on an oven rack below to catch any leaks.
• Roast the meat for 3 1/2 to 4 hours in the preheated oven, until falling apart. Cook to at least 145 degrees F (63 degrees C). Remove from the oven, and shred into small pieces using two forks. Season with salt to taste.

SIZZLING PORK TACOS

Steps:

• Season the pork generously with salt and pepper. Add the garlic, chile powder and cumin, and mix well, massaging the seasoning into the meat with fingers. Let the meat marinate for at least an hour, or refrigerate overnight.
• Heat the oil in a wide cast iron skillet over medium heat. When the oil looks wavy, add the meat and let it sizzle, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Turn off the heat and keep meat warm.
• Heat the tortillas on an ungreased hot griddle or cast iron pan. Turn them once or twice until hot and slightly puffed. As they come off the griddle, stack them on a cloth napkin to steam, with another napkin on top.
• To assemble the tacos, stack 2 hot tortillas on a plate. Spoon on a little sizzled pork, then top with a spoonful of tomatillo salsa and another of salsa cruda. Garnish with radishes and cilantro sprigs. Serve and eat immediately.