pulled pork tacos

I'd definitely say that I'm a taco addict. They are one of  those foods that even if I had them for lunch, I could eat them again for dinner. And probably again for lunch the next day... I don't know what it is about them, but they're crazy addictive.

We went to a fancy party on Saturday night and I woke up feeling less than okay on Sunday. After spending many hours laying on the couch and napping, I decided a low maintenance dinner would be ideal. Pork tacos that cooked low and slow? Yes, please. By the time I'd gotten the tacos started, I began to feel better — finally! So much better that I opted to make homemade corn tortillas. This was probably a little ambitious considering my state, but I'd already set my mind to it. Plus, I didn't buy tortillas so it was pretty essential to the whole taco thing.

Two hours later my apartment smelled like a taqueria straight out of Mexico and my mouth was watering. Only a few steps left; pulling the pork and slicing up the accoutrements. I'd put so much effort into making the tortillas, pulling the pork felt like lifting 100 lb. weights. Again, I was reminded to never drink that many vodka sodas again. As for the toppings, I wanted to add some different textures. The pulled pork was chewy and tender, so I wanted to add a crunchy and creamy element to balance out the tacos. Purple cabbage added the perfect amount of crunch and a slice of avocado added creaminess. For extra flavor, a sprinkle of fresh cilantro and feta cheese completed the dish.

It was well worth the effort because the final product was so delicious. The best part? These awesome tacos are wayyyy healthier than the tacos you'd get at a Tex-Mex restaurant. Notice the serious lack of grease? Me gusta!

Pulled Pork Tacos, serves 6-8

• 2 lbs. pork shoulder, trimmed & cut into large chunks (I bought 2.65 lbs, but trimmed quite a bit of fat off)
• 1 Tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp oregano
• pinch of cinnamon
• 2 Tbsp canola oil
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 cups beef broth
• 2 chipotles in adobo sauce, minced, plus 1 Tbsp adobo sauce
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste
• 2 bay leaves
• juice of one orange

Mix the chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano and cinnamon in a small bowl. Sprinkle over meat and toss to coat evenly. In a heavy-bottomed pan or Dutch oven, heat 1 Tbsp of canola oil over medium-high heat. When hot, sear meat, about 2-3 minutes per side, do this in two batches to avoid steaming the meat. Remove the meat from the pan and set aside. Add 1 Tbsp canola oil to pan and reduce heat to medium. Saute onions for 5 minutes, add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Deglaze the pan with beef broth and add chipotles, adobo sauce, tomato paste, bay leaves and orange juice. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer for 2-3 minutes to reduce slightly. Add meat back to pan and simmer on lowest heat setting uncovered for 2 hours.

Remove meat from pan and shred with two forks. Meanwhile, ladle half of the leftover liquid into a small saucepan reduce over medium-low heat for 5-10 minutes. Mix the shredded meat back in the with non-reduced liquid and toss to coat. Turn the heat back on to make sure the meat is hot before serving.

Roll in fresh corn tortillas and garnish with purple cabbage, cilantro, avocado and feta or cotija cheese.