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Slow-Grilled Pork Tacos with Charred Pineapple Salsa

Two Stars Guiding Stars
  • Servings:

    Serves 8 to 10 as an appetizer
  • Prep Time:

    80 minutes
  • Cook Time:

    285 minutes

Ingredients

Tying the pork shoulder is key for ease of grilling and even cooking; you can ask your butcher to do this for you. Feel free to substitute chicken stock or water for the beer. You will need a 13x9" aluminum foil pan for this recipe.
10 garlic cloves
1 (7-oz.) can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, peppers minced, sauce reserved
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp. dark or light brown sugar
2 Tbsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. ground cumin
1 Tbsp. smoked paprika
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 (4- to 5-lb.) boneless pork shoulder, tied
Salt and pepper
1 bunch cilantro, leaves reserved for salsa, stems tied into a bundle with twine
3/4 cup light beer
1 yellow onion, peeled and halved crosswise
1 ripe pineapple, peeled and cut crosswise into 1/2"-thick slices
1 small red onion, chopped fine
2 tsp. lime zest and 1 Tbsp. juice from 1 lime, plus wedges for serving
24 corn tortillas, for serving
Slow-Grilled Pork Tacos with Charred Pineapple Salsa

Directions

1. To make a marinade, mince five garlic cloves, then transfer to a medium bowl. Stir in chipotles and adobo sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, and spices. Transfer 1/2 cup marinade to a small bowl; cover and refrigerate until needed. Set remaining marinade aside.
2. Place pork in a 13x9" aluminum foil pan and season all over with 2 teaspoons salt. Rub remaining marinade all over pork. Cover tightly with foil and refrigerate for at least 12 and up to 36 hours. Let pork sit at room temperature for about 1 hour before cooking.
3. When ready to cook, heat grill to high and clean and oil grates. Using a rubber spatula, scrape excess marinade off pork into pan and add cilantro stems, beer, and remaining five garlic cloves. Remove pork from pan and transfer to hottest spot on grill, along with yellow onion halves. Grill pork and onion until both are lightly charred all over, 3 to 5 minutes per side for pork and 1 to 2 minutes for onion. Return pork and onion to pan; cover tightly with foil.
4. Prepare for indirect grilling by turning off all but the primary burner and slide pan onto cool side of grill. Adjusting primary burner as necessary to maintain a grill temperature between 250 and 300 degrees, cook until pork shreds easily and thickest part registers 190 to 195 degrees, 3 to 4 hours (check temperature in multiple spots to ensure it's done throughout). Transfer pork to a large bowl, cover loosely, and let rest at least 15 minutes and up to 1 hour. Strain liquid into a bowl (discard solids) and skim off fat; set aside.
5. To make a salsa, heat burners to high and clean and oil grates. Grill pineapple slices until well marked, about 5 minutes per side, then transfer to a cutting board. Let cool, then core and chop into 1/2" pieces; transfer to a large bowl. Chop 3/4 cup reserved cilantro leaves and add to bowl along with red onion and lime zest and juice; mix gently to combine and season with salt to taste.
6. To serve, carefully shred pork into 1" to 2" pieces, discarding twine and any large chunks of fat. Add braising liquid and reserved marinade to moisten and flavor meat to taste (you may not need all of either). Grill tortillas over high heat until soft and lightly charred, about 30 seconds per side; stack and wrap in foil or kitchen towels to keep warm. Serve pork with tortillas, pineapple salsa, and lime wedges.
Source: Hannaford fresh Magazine, July - August 2019

Nutrition

Nutritional Facts
Servings Serves 8 to 10
Base Nutrients
Calories 530 kcal (27%)
Calories from Fat 207 kcal (0%)
Total Fat 23 g (35%)
Saturated Fat 7 g (35%)
Cholesterol 110 mg (37%)
Sodium 690 mg (29%)
Total Carbohydrates 48 g (16%)
Dietary Fiber 7 g (28%)
Protein 32 g (53%)
Vitamins
Vitamin A n/a
Vitamin C n/a
Minerals
Calcium n/a
Iron n/a
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