Shot-And-A-Beer Pork Stew or Tacos

Submitted by Stephanie Y.

"Beer and Tequila aren't just for drinking, but don't let that stop you from having a little while you cook! Tacolicious, a taco stand at San Francisco's Thursday Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, serves this braised pork in tacos, but now, you can have it at home as a fall stew. The chiles fall apart as the dish cooks, giving the meat a mellow, earthy spiciness. You can also make this ahead: Chill, covered, up to 2 days."

 

• Ready In: 3hrs 50mins
• Ingredients: 13
• Serves: 6

ingredients

• 2 large dried chipotle chiles
• 2 large dried ancho chiles
• 12 ounces lager beer (Mexican such as Tecate)
• 1⁄4 cup white tequila (silver)
• 3 1⁄2 lbs pork shoulder, cut into 2-in . cubes
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 3⁄4 lb tomatoes, chopped
• 2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin

• Accompaniments

• cabbage and cilantro slaw with lime vinaigrette, lime wedges, crumbled cotija cheese, and tortilla chips

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Wipe chiles clean with a damp cloth. In a dry, heavy saucepan over medium heat, toast chiles until fragrant and puffy, turning occasionally to keep them from burning, 3 to 5 minutes. Let cool slightly, then remove stems, seeds, and membranes. Pour beer and tequila over chiles to soften.
2. Meanwhile, season pork with salt. Heat oil in a heavy, large ovenproof pot such as a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown half the pork at a time, turning as needed, 8 to 10 minutes per batch. Transfer browned pork to a bowl.
3. Add onion and garlic to pot; cook until soft, stirring often, 5 minutes. Stir in beer mixture, tomatoes, oregano, cumin, and pork. Add water if needed to barely cover pork. Bring to a boil over high heat; cover.
4. Bake stew until pork is falling-apart tender, 3 hours. Skim fat. Ladle stew into bowls and serve with accompaniments.

Reviews

[BenandSandra]

Pretty good! I've always seen those dried chilies in the store and wondered what to do with them. The recipe does say, but you can cut up the chilies before you put them in. They get pretty soft, but they don't actually break up totally without a lot of vigorous spooning. We served it as soup with a side of tortillas so folks could make tacos if they wanted. Spicy and tender.