Mojo Pork Tacos
- Level: Intermediate
- Yield: 10 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 10 servings
- Calories
- 830
- Total Fat
- 43
- Saturated Fat
- 15
- Carbohydrates
- 44
- Dietary Fiber
- 9
- Sugar
- 22
- Protein
- 64
- Cholesterol
- 214
- Sodium
- 1728
- Total: 1 day 12 hr 30 min (includes marinating time)
- Active: 1 hr 10 min
Ingredients
Pork:
1 bunch fresh cilantro
1 bunch fresh parsley
1 cup whole cloves garlic
1 cup grapefruit juice
1 cup lime juice
1 cup orange juice
1 cup dried oregano
1 ounce coarsely ground black pepper
One 8- to 12-pound pork butt (bone-in preferred)
Jicama-Apple Slaw:
1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
4 ounces dark brown sugar
5 whole cloves garlic
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 piece jicama
2 Granny Smith apples
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, leaves picked
Pico de Gallo:
1 cup diced plum tomatoes
1/4 cup diced red onion
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 teaspoon chopped fresh cilantro, plus more leaves for serving
1/2 jalapeño, diced
1/2 lime, juiced
Salt and pepper
Tortillas, for serving
Directions
Special equipment:
a smoker; oak and apple wood; a mandoline- For the pork: Combine the cilantro, parsley, garlic, grapefruit juice, lime juice, orange juice, oregano and black pepper in a blender and purée. Pour the marinade over the pork butt in a bowl and refrigerate, covered, for 24 hours.
- To cook the pork, place it in a preheated smoker, using an oak and apple wood blend. Smoke until the internal temperature has reached 185 to 190 degrees F, 8 to 12 hours (see Cook's Note). When finished, the pork should be tender enough to yield fully to the touch. Cover and let cool, 1 hour. Using your weight, press down on the pork to break up. Uncover and pull apart/shred any remaining chunks of meat.
- For the apple-jicama slaw: Combine the vinegar, brown sugar, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper in a small pot and simmer for 45 minutes. Allow to cool. Peel the jicama and slice into thin sheets using a mandoline. Stack the sheets and julienne into thin sticks. Apply the same process to the apples, leaving the skin on. Combine half the marinade with the jicama and apple in a bowl, then finish with the cilantro leaves. Reserve the remaining marinade to use directly on the pork.
- For the pico de gallo: Combine the tomatoes, onions, garlic, cilantro, jalapeños and lime juice in a bowl, then toss to mix and season to your preference.
- Heat the tortillas in your preferred method (a dry sauté pan over medium heat works well). Pile the mojo pork into a folded tortilla, then top with the juicy apple-jicama slaw and finish with picked cilantro and pico de gallo.
Cook’s Note
Reserve the mojo marinade. Halfway through smoking, remove the pork, toss it in the marinade and return the pork to the smoker to finish cooking.