This is another one of my favorite dishes. I found it in a Bon Appetit magazine years ago, and it’s been a regular feature in my house ever since. It requires a little planning ahead because it does need some time on the stove, but it’s one of those practically “set it and forget it” type of meals and the finished product always gets rave reviews. I often do this dish for dinner parties because it is easy to make in large quantities. And you have some great options for leftovers:
(1) freeze it for later – The meat freezes very well, and when you’re ready just thaw and toss it back on the stove with a few tablespoons of water.
(2) repurpose it – I’m terrible when it comes to leftovers. I generally don’t like to eat the same thing twice within days of the original meal. This pulled pork recipe is great because it also makes excellent sandwiches. Just add rolls, coleslaw, and Carolina sauce.
And on another note, if you don’t eat pork, this dish can be done with beef, though I would consider cutting back on the orange juice by maybe half and using more water instead.
Pulled Pork Tacos
Ingredients:
4 pounds boneless country-style pork ribs
2 cups water
1 1/2 cups fresh orange juice
6 garlic cloves, peeled & smashed (just smash with the flat side of the knife)
2 teaspoons fine sea salt
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
2 tablespoons brandy (optional)
Preparation:
(I’ve simplified the approach from the original a bit with similar results.)
Combine all ingredients above, but for the brandy, in a deep skillet and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until pork is tender, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour 45 minutes. Add more water if necessary to keep pork partially submerged. Uncover, and boil pork mixture until the liquid is reduced by half, about 20-30 minutes.
Stir in brandy and continue to boil as the liquid evaporates, and begin pulling apart the meat while discarding any loose pieces of fat.
Continue to stir the meat until the liquid is evaporated and the meat begins to crisp and brown.
Add warm tortillas (corn or flour), fresh guacamole, and salsa, and enjoy! If you want a really easy side dish, try corn on the cob or kernels and top with some fresh grated parmesan cheese and a little chili powder.
-Jasmine
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Jasmine made these tacos for my family after my second daughter was born and they are DE-lish. Thanks for sharing the recipe, Jasmine, I can’t wait to make them!
I think I found our superbowl meal!
Ooh, enjoy! I have a great recipe for black bean and corn salsa too if you’re looking for a great party food to go with it. Let me know, and I’d be happy to e-mail it to you.
We typically use beef or chicken with our tacos, so using pork is an excellent alternative. We have lots of pork cutlets in stock in our freezer, not the country-style pork ribs as you indicated in your recipe. Can I use cutlets and just cut them finely?
Cutlets will be much leaner than spareribs, so it might not turn as moist and tender as it would if you used country-style spareribs. That said, the cooking method is a long, slow simmer so it should help to make the cutlets more tender. And when I attempted to use beef once, the only available cut at the store was a rather lean, tough piece of meat and it still turned out great – just took a little longer. So I say, give it a try!
Alright, now I’m hungry!
I’ve made a similar pulled pork out of a shoulder and mango juice with canned chipotle peppers. This would greatly reduce the cooking time without sacrificing the flavour.
Stay warm!
Midnitechef, that sounds excellent! We’re a big fan of chipotles in my house – my husband has begun smoking his own, and we’ve even made our own chipotle chile powder. Watch out – it’s hot!
Ooh, and mango would be an excellent flavor combination with the pork and chipotle. I will definitely give that one a try next go around. Thanks for sharing!
And you’re right, this is a great alternative cooking method when you don’t have time for a shoulder in the smoker or crockpot.
Thank you for sharing! I will have to try this over the weekend! It looks good
You’re welcome! Enjoy, and have a great weekend!