Roasted Cilantro Lime Pork Tacos

When the weather outside doesn’t want to cooperate with smoking, look indoors to your oven or slow cooker. This recipe packs a punch in flavor and excels in these heat sources since the pork is covered while cooking. If possible, shred the pork while it’s still sitting in your roasting pan or slow cooker, so that the pork blends with all the juices that are released while cooking. Those juices will serve you well in keeping the pulled pork moist for leftovers.

Yield: about 12 servings

Ingredients

For the Pulled Pork:

• 8-10 cloves garlic, peeled, roughly chopped

• 2 jalapeños, seeded and roughly chopped

• 6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice (from about 3 limes)

• 2 tablespoons lime zest

• 1 tablespoon whole coriander seeds

• 1 1/2 tablespoons whole cumin seeds

• 1 tablespoon kosher salt

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 cup cilantro leaves, lightly packed

• 5-6 lb. bone-in pork shoulder, trimmed*

• 1 cup chicken stock (optional, for slow cooker)

For the Tacos:

• Flour or corn tortillas

• Shredded Monterey Jack cheese

• Sour cream

• Guacamole

• Pico de gallo or salsa

Instructions

Toast the coriander and cumin seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat, about 2 minutes (or until the seeds are slightly darker in color and have become fragrant). Set the seeds aside to cool for a few minutes.

Combine the garlic, jalapeño, lime zest, lime juice, toasted coriander and cumin seeds, kosher salt, olive oil, and cilantro in a food processor. Pulse until a thick paste is formed.

Make several cuts into each side of the pork shoulder (about 1 inch wide and 1.5 inches deep). Place about 1 teaspoon of the paste into each cut. Spread the remaining paste over the outside of the pork. Wrap the coated pork tightly with plastic wrap and set on a tray in the fridge. Chill for at least 8 hours.

Coated pork, after marinating for 8 hours and plastic wrap removed.

To roast in the oven: Preheat the oven to 325°F. Carefully remove the plastic wrap from the pork, keeping as much of the paste on the outside of the pork as possible. Place the pork in a heavy roasting pan or dutch oven. Cover with foil or a lid and roast for about 4 to 4 1/2 hours, until the pork is very tender and falling apart. The internal temperature of the pork should be about 198°F to 203°F. Allow the pork to rest, covered, for at least 20 minutes before shredding.

Roasted pork shoulder, foil removed and pan full of released juices.

Remove the bone and shred the pork while it is in the pan or dutch oven. Toss the pulled pork in the juices to evenly coat. If you need to remove the pork from the pan to shred, that’s OK. Just slide the shredded pork back into the pan with the juices.

Shredded pork, in pan with juices from roasting.

To cook in a slow-cooker: Pour the chicken stock into the bottom of the slow cooker. Carefully remove the plastic wrap from the pork, keeping as much of the paste on the outside of the pork as possible. Place the pork in the slow cooker and cover with the lid. Cook on high for 5-6 hours, until the pork is very tender and falling apart. Turn off the slow cooker and allow the pork to rest in the slow cooker, covered, for at least about 20 minutes. Remove the bone and shred the pork while it is in the slow cooker. Toss the pulled pork in the juices to evenly coat.

Serve the warm pulled pork in tortillas, topped with shredded cheese, pico de gallo (or salsa), guacamole, and sour cream.

Open pork taco, topped with Monterey jack cheese, guacamole, sour cream, and salsa verde.

Make ahead: If not serving right away, transfer the pork (and all its juices) to a 9” x 13” pan tightly covered with foil and stash in the fridge up to three days.  To reheat before serving, place the covered tray in a 300°F oven for about an hour or until warm, stirring occasionally.  

If you're making a large batch of pulled pork for future use, divide the pork into labeled, quart-size zip top bags (about one pound per bag), seal and lightly flatten. Stack bags in freezer. When you're ready to use the pork, thaw the bag overnight in fridge.  If you're only using about a pound or two of the meat, I suggest reheating the pork on the stove.  Add about a tablespoon of vegetable oil to a medium saucepan over medium-high heat and add in the pork. Break apart the meat with tongs as you stir.  Cook until warmed through.  If you're using a lot of the frozen meat, transfer the thawed meat into a 9" x 13" pan, cover with foil, and heat in the oven as above.

Notes

*If you need more information on trimming the pork shoulder, check out our recipe for Smoked Pulled Pork. Essentially, you are looking to trim the fat cap on the top to about 1/8” to 1/4” in thickness.