This versatile slow cooker pulled pork couldn’t be easier. Simply place the meat in the slow cooker, add flavorings, cook and shred, and then blend the flavoring ingredients and drippings for an amazing sauce. Great for tacos or quesadillas, or leave in chunks for your main. Add the toppings you like – avocado slices, cilantro, lime juice, chopped onion, shredded cabbage, radishes — you decide!
Ingredients
- (6-pound) pork shoulder roast: 1 piece
- garlic cloves: 8 piece
- bay leaves: 4 piece
- Roma tomatoes, quartered: 4 piece
- onion, cut into eighths: 1 piece
- guajillo Chilis, stems and seeds removed: 3 piece (dried)
- ground cumin: 2 tsp
- kosher salt: 2 tsp (to taste)
- black pepper: 1 tsp (freshly ground)
- 1/2 cups chicken broth: 2 piece
- corn tortillas: 24 piece
- ounces cotija cheese: 12 piece (shredded)
- onion: 0.5 piece (diced)
- 1/2 cups shredded cabbage: 1 piece
- bunch radishes: 1 piece (sliced)
- limes, cut into eighths: 3 piece
Metric Conversion
Stages of cooking
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Combine pork shoulder roast, garlic cloves, tomatoes, onion, guajillo chiles, cumin, salt, and pepper in a large (5 to 6-quart) slow cooker; pour chicken broth over roast.
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Cover, cook on High until pork is fork tender, 6 to 7 hours. Remove roast from slow cooker; allow to cool for about 10 minutes. Shred pork with 2 forks, discarding any fat or membranes.
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Discard bay leaves. Pour cooked vegetables and liquid through a sieve; reserve cooking liquid and set aside. Place cooked vegetables in the bowl of a blender or food processor; blend to a smooth puree.
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For dipping sauce, skim excess fat from cooking liquid; set fat aside. Return puréed vegetables and defatted cooking liquid to the slow cooker; cook, covered, on High until ready to serve.
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Add a bit of reserved fat to a large skillet or comal over medium-low heat. Soften tortillas by warming on each side for 1 to 2 minutes.
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To make tacos, place about a tablespoon of shredded cheese, 2 tablespoons shredded pork, and an additional tablespoon of shredded cheese on one half of warm tortilla. Fold other half of tortilla over filling; repeat with all tortillas.
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Add a thin layer of reserved fat to the skillet or comal over medium heat. Place folded, filled tortillas in batches in the hot skillet; cook until golden, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Use a spatula to move any cheese that oozes out back into taco.
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Ladle dipping sauce from slow cooker into individual serving bowls; garnish each bowl with shredded cabbage, radishes, chopped onion, and a squeeze of lime juice. Serve tacos warm, with dipping sauce. Brenda Venable
