Shake up Taco Tuesday with these sweet pork tacos. Sweet, saucy meat,
fresh pico de gallo, and tangy ranch wrapped up in a melted-cheese-and-
tortilla blanket will do the trick!
inspiration
New drinking game: read this blog in one sitting and take a shot every time I say “I’ve moved.”
This one was rough. Unexpected, unpleasant. I spent seventeen days in beds that weren’t mine, with closets already full of clothes and kitchens full of food that wasn’t mine, either. I had to take a day off work to find a new place. One miracle and half a tank of gas later, I did. And then of course there’s the actual moving–the packing, hauling, unpacking, and organizing of things, the where should the furniture go the i don’t know how to drive a moving truck and the holy cow moving is expensive of it all.
I lived on fast food and trader joe’s prepared meals for three weeks so it feels good to cook for myself again. Cooking always makes me feel a little more grounded in the middle of chaos.
There are a few staples I turn to when I need cheering up, and one of them is anything with the sweet pork from Café Rio. But the closest Café Rio is hours away, so I’m on my own.
These sweet pork tacos with cilantro ranch can definitely perk you up on a bad day. We’ve got the cilantro ranch from the chicken tortilla bowls I posted a while ago, and a new addition of sweet & saucy pork. And honestly, they did cheer me up.
There are really only two steps to getting through a rough time: Eat good food. Keep moving forward.
why i love this recipe
These tacos are great for way more reasons than just improving a crappy day (or week…or month). They’re very easy, even if there are a few steps involved. The pork cooks in the crock pot, so your whole house will smell delicious. There’s very little chopping involved—always a plus!
It makes a bunch of meals if you’re cooking for one or two. I ate tacos three times, made seven burritos for the freezer (with rice and beans, without the ranch), and still had some leftover. The pork leftovers are great in quesadillas or nachos or a pork version of the chicken tortilla salad.
It’s impossible not to be happy when you smell that sweet pork braising away in a flavorful sauce, or smell the punch of fresh cilantro as you blend it. And olive-oil fried tortillas are out-of-this-world delicious. Add some melty cheese and fresh pico de gallo and you cannot go wrong.
It is a truth universally acknowledged that raw pork is gross. I wouldn’t make you work with it if it wasn’t worth it.
details
Every single step of this recipe is simple. First, you’ll rub a spice mixture onto the pork—all sides, please! I do this right in the crock pot. Some of the spices will probably fall off and it’ll look like too much, but it’s not. Don’t worry about it.
You’ll add the sauce ingredients in and kind of stir it around a bit with the fork. Pour them around the sides of the pork, not over the top—we don’t want to rinse off all the spices. It’s going to look like a lot of liquid, but don’t worry about that, either.
After you let the pork braise for four or five hours on high, you’ll make a little cornstarch slurry, pour it in, and then cook uncovered for another 30 minutes to an hour.
Ten or so minutes before it’s done, you’ll want to sprinkle the tortillas with cheese and fry them on one side in a little bit of olive oil until they’re mostly golden but have some dark brown spots. Don’t skip this step—hot fried tortillas are infinitely better than cold, stiff tortillas straight out of the bag.
After that, it’s all easy. You just spoon the pork onto the cheesy tortilla and top it with pico de gallo and a generous drizzle of cilantro ranch.
notes
Here are a few notes to make sure your sweet pork tacos turn out great:
- Don’t use diet coke—we want the sugar in regular coke!
- Green chilis are very mild. If you want more of a kick, use the same amount of diced jalapenos.
- Don’t throw away the extra sauce! it’ll make the pork even better and it’ll thicken up overnight.
- These are messy. Have napkins ready. Or drain the pork on a paper-towel lined plate for a few minutes before putting it in the tortilla.
- I like to serve these with a side of rice—spanish or cilantro—and some beans.
- How to reheat: in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time, or in a saucepan on the stovetop over medium heat.
- How to store: in a Ziploc bag with all the juices. Will keep for 3-4 days in the fridge, or for a couple of months in the freezer.
In the mood for Tex-Mex? Try texas queso, cheese quesadillas, pico de gallo, or guacamole.
sweet pork tacos with cilantro ranch
Ingredients
Method
- In a small bowl, whisk together the chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, cayenne, and salt. Place pork roast in crock pot, then sprinkle the spice mixture on all sides and rub it into the pork. It will look like a lot of spices and some ofthe mixture will fall into the bottom, but don’t worry. That’s fine.
- Pour coke, enchilada sauce, green chilis, garlic, and brown sugar into the crock pot around the pork—NOT over the top of it. Use a fork to kind of stir everything to combine it.
- Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours, whatever your schedule allows for. Remove pork onto a plate and shred. In a small bowl, combine 4 tablespoons of the liquid with 4 tablespoons of cornstarch. Whisk with a fork until completely combined, then add into the crock pot and give that a little stir. Add the shredded pork back in and cook for another 30-60 minutes, uncovered. It will all look very saucy, and you will worry there’s too much liquid. There’s not. Don’t worry about it.
- If using the cilantro ranch, make that now.
- A few minutes before the pork is done, add a little bit of olive oil to a pan andheat over medium heat. Add tortillas one or two at a time and sprinkle with cheese. Fry on one side until the cheese is melting and the tortilla is golden brown on the other side.
- Top tortillas immediately with pork (drain the pork a bit if you want these to be a bit less messy), pico de gallo, and cilantro ranch. Fold tacos in half and serve.
Notes
- How to reheat: in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time, or in a saucepan on the stovetop over medium heat.
- How to store: in a Ziploc bag with all the juices. Will keep for 3-4 days in the fridge, or for a couple of months in the freezer.
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