A few weeks ago while planning for a work function, one of my co-workers requested I make “something yummy and pork”. I’ll admit that I was at a loss for ideas, but ultimately decided to make a taco meat version of my very simple and delicious Pozole Verde recipe.
It was a hit with friends and family! So without further ado… enjoy the green piggie meat. Great for tacos, enchiladas, tamale, mac & cheese, mexi-wrap, omelette… you name it!
INGREDIENTS
Lean boneless pork roast 4-5 lb, labeled “fresh pork picnic” at winco ~$3/ lb (if you get the butt/shoulder bone-in roast it will be more fatty, but probably still delicious)
16 oz salsa verde (I used Herdez brand, or homemade)
7 oz can fire roasted green Chile, mild (I use la Victoria)
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup olive oil
Salt
Pepper
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons ground Mexican oregano
2 bay leaves
1 cup White wine (I use Sauvignon blanc, but anything would work – including hard cider or light beer)
Let the the pork roast come up to room temp in the sink for an hour or so and slice it into 2-3 inch slabs across the grain. Salt and pepper well. Heat large frying pan to medium high heat. Add olive oil to the pan and when it starts to shimmer, add the pork slices a few at a time and brown them on all sides. Do this in batches and add them to your crockpot as they finish When done, add the wine to the hot pan and scrape up all the meaty bits. Boil in the pan for a couple minutes to burn off the alcohol, then add to the crockpot.
Add the enchilada sauce, canned peppers, chicken stock, bay leaf, oregano, and cumin to a large crock pot. Add the browned pork. Cook on high heat for 2-3 hours, until the pieces fall apart when you poke them.
Remove the pork pieces from the crock pot and cool for 30 minutes (or overnight) in the fridge. If you’re in a rush you can pour the green sauce into a saucepan and simmer at medium-low temp for about 30 minutes (or when reduced by half). If you aren’t in a rush it’s a little easier to just leave it in the crockpot for 2 hours on high (with the lid turned sideways) to evaporate. I do this before bed and let the “keep warm” function work on it a little while I sleep, too. Shred/crumble the pork pieces back into the verde sauce and eat – or leave overnight in the fridge for later.
When you’re ready to eat, just reheat in the microwave or toss it back into the crockpot for an hour on High. Use corn or flour tortillas. Add your normal taco fixins (ours are cabbage, radish, avacado, cilantro, cotija) and freeze the leftovers. 🙂
Art Farm Oregon 