Sizzling Pork Tacos

Sizzling Pork Tacos
Jim Wilson/The New York Times
Total Time
30 minutes
Rating
5(1,315)
Comments
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Heavily spiced strips of pork shoulder fried crisp in a pan. Warm corn tortillas.

Tomatillo salsa and hot sauce. Pair the tacos with a pot of garlicky black beans, an avocado salad and mangoes for dessert, and you’ve got an incredible dinner for about an hour’s work. Go to.

Featured in: The Simple Pleasure of Tacos

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings
  • pounds pork shoulder, not too lean, in thin ½-inch strips or cubes
  • Salt
  • pepper
  • 3garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • teaspoons ground guajillo, ancho or other medium-hot red chile
  • 1teaspoon toasted, coarsely ground cumin
  • 3tablespoons vegetable oil or good-quality lard
  • 2dozen small corn tortillas, ideally 4½ inches, for serving
  • Tomatillo salsa, for serving
  • Salsa cruda, for serving
  • Radishes, trimmed, for serving
  • Cilantro sprigs, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

549 calories; 30 grams fat; 10 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 13 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 46 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams dietary fiber; 2 grams sugars; 26 grams protein; 582 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    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.

  2. Step 2

    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.

  3. Step 3

    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.

  4. Step 4

    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.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
1,315 user ratings
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Comments

Fresh jalapeno,onions, cilantro and tomatoes roughly chopped. Add a little olive oil and fresh lime juice. Crudo meaning not cooked.

The pork shoulders at Wegman's were huge; I bought boneless country style ribs instead, choosing a pkg w/ a little fat left on the meat. I cut the ribs in strips across the grain, as one would w/ flank steak. Otherwise I followed the recipe pretty closely. Marinated the meat for about 10 hours. Served w/ black beans, pico de gallo, guacamole and fat free Greek yogurt (instead of sour cream or crema). This was quick & easy. Looking forward to cooking the pork on the grill this summer.

I also used boneless country-style ribs, as another reviewer did, and it worked splendidly. They marinated for about three hours. I served them with blistered poblanos, caramelized onions and a corn and cilantro salsa/relish. Fresh avocado and feta, pico de gallo as well. A really spectacular taco dinner.

Party of one, had my local butcher cut a 1/2 # of pork shoulder trimmed. Marinated for 24-48 hours. Made the Fresh Tomatillo Salsa recipe. Heated corn tortillas (Worx best), assembled the tomatillo salsa, dab of sour cream, diced pork shoulder, sliced jalapenos, diced cherry tomatoes, radishes, cilantro & final dab of tomatillo salsa + squeeze of lime. Yumm. Please note the Fresh tomatillo salsa is great with tortilla chips the following day too.

Add toasted pepitas to the taco. Great crunch and earthy flavor!

This was so shockingly tender, easy and delicious. I used ancho chile and an extra clove of garlic, and whole roasted and ground cumin (if that made a difference). Marinared overnight. My partner was shocked at how good it was too!

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