Crock Pot Pulled Pork Tacos and then Some

Sandi (From CA)'s Note:

With the leftovers from the pulled pork recipe below, we have a) made sandwiches, b) combined some with BBQ sauce and c) ate it straight from the bowl in the fridge… all sheer bliss. Today when I spied the last of our supply, I was inspired to make tacos with all my favorite toppings and here they are. You will have leftover pulled pork and be darned thankful for it! Time estimate does not include overnight marinating.

• Total Time: 13 hrs 20 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 13 hrs

Ingredients:

Serves: 4

Yield: 8.0 tacos

FOR THE PORK (use 3 cups of the finished pork roast)

• 2 1/2-4 lbs boneless pork shoulder
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons cajun seasoning
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/2 tablespoon mesquite powder
• 1/2 cup frozen apple juice concentrate
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar

FOR THE TACOS

• 8 (6 inch) corn tortillas
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 avocados, cut into 1/4 slices
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, may be chopped
• mild green taco sauce, to taste
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped (optional)
• 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded (optional)
• 1 cup vegetable oil, enough to cover tortillas in a small fry pan

Directions:

1. Making the pork: COMBINE BROWN SUGAR THROUGH MESQUITE POWDER. Spread over entire roast. Refrigerate roast in a Ziploc bag for up to 24 hours.
2. PLACE APPLE JUICE and VINEGAR in a crock pot and add the spiced shoulder being careful not to lose the rub. Cook on high for two hours, then reduce to low for 10 more hours.
3. REMOVE THE ROAST and let rest for 30 minutes.
4. PULL roast apart with two forks.
5. Making the tacos: HEAT OIL in small fry pan on medium-high until hot. Fry tortillas for about 30 seconds on each side so they're starting to turn crispy but are still quite pliable. Drain on paper towels or paper bag.
6. SPREAD SOUR CREAM down the center of each tortilla along with slices of avocado and some cilantro.
7. DIVIDE THE PORK equally and top each taco with a portion. Finish with mild green taco sauce to taste and the optional onions and/or cheese.
8. FOLD TACO IN HALF and meditate while you lose yourself in culinary heaven!

Reviews

[Stacky5]

OH! This is ABSOLUTELY the bomb!!! OMG! Sandi, the flavor of this is SO PERFECT, I don't even know how to describe it! Directions were so easy to follow and the seasonings were monumental! All of my kids just loved this, and so did I!!! Figured I'd have enough left over for the tacos, but Oh, NO! Served with garlic mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli, and there wasn't even enough left for me to take to work as leftovers!!! A tried and true "Keeper" in my family! Can't wait to tell the sisters about it and brag about how much better I can cook than they can!!! LOL! Thanks Sandi, for sharing! YUM! :)

[cristinbeverley]

Great marinade! I've found that crock pot pulled pork is one of the easiest, cheapest and tastiest things you can eat! I for one like to sear my shoulder after rubbing it before putting it in the crock pot. For me, it helps add a bit of smokiness. I also add a few garlic cloves and onions to the crock pot with the pork. When the pork is complete, I pull it apartment and add some fresh lime juice and smoked paprika. I like to char it a bit in a pan with some hot oil and and then put it on some fried corn tortillas with fresh cilantro, avocado, mango and some hot sauce. Takes like REAL Mexican street food. Thanks for sharing!

[jane49423]

This has been one of the recipes I have wanted to try for ages. Today was the day. I started it on high for about 3.5 hours, because I only had 10 hours total (not the 12in the recipe.) When I checked it after 5.5 hours it was done - and almost mealy, but once I pulled it, it was really terrific. My crock pot is an older version, so maybe it's just too hot. We served it on buns. I let the sauce cool and skimmed off the fat, then thickened it up with cornstarch and we used that as BBQ sauce. There's hardly any leftovers!