Puree a variety of bold Mexican chiles with garlic, honey, vinegar and spices to make a bright, aromatic sauce that gets slow-cooked with pork shoulder. Once tender, shred the pork and enjoy with corn tortillas and your favorite toppings!
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 5 hr 36 min |
| Prep: | 25 min |
| Cook: | 5 hr 11 min |
| Yield: | about 8 servings |
Ingredients
- 3 whole ancho chiles
- 3 whole pasilla chiles
- 4 cloves garlic, unpeeled
- 2 to 3 chipotles in adobo sauce
- 1/2 medium white onion, roughly chopped
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
- Kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano, preferably Mexican
- 3 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 4 pounds boneless pork shoulder (untrimmed), cut into chunks
- Freshly ground pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- Corn tortillas, warmed, for serving
- Assorted taco toppings, for garnish
Instructions
- Put the ancho and pasilla chiles and the garlic in a bowl; add 2 to 3 tablespoons water. Microwave on high until soft and pliable, 2 to 3 minutes. Stem and seed the chiles; peel the garlic. Transfer the chiles and garlic to a blender.
- Add the chipotles, onion, 2 tablespoons olive oil, honey, vinegar, 1 tablespoon salt and the oregano to the blender; puree until smooth. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over high heat; add the chile sauce and fry, stirring, until thick and fragrant, about 8 minutes. Pour in the broth and reduce until slightly thickened.
- Season the pork all over with salt and pepper and transfer to a large slow cooker. Add the bay leaves and cinnamon stick, then pour in the sauce. Cover and cook on high until the meat is tender, about 5 hours. (Or cook the meat in a large Dutch oven, covered, for 1 hour 45 minutes at 350 degrees; uncover and cook 30 more minutes.)
- Discard the bay leaves and cinnamon stick. Shred the pork with 2 forks; season with salt and pepper. Serve the shredded pork in the tortillas, along with toppings.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 399 calorie |
| Total Fat | 15 grams |
| Saturated Fat | 4 grams |
| Cholesterol | 147 milligrams |
| Sodium | 452 milligrams |
| Carbohydrates | 14 grams |
| Dietary Fiber | 3 grams |
| Protein | 51 grams |
| Sugar | 5 grams |
Reviews
Best pulled pork ever! I made enchiladas in a creamy green sauce with the leftovers and they turned out amazing too.
The meat is amazing, I made a Mango Salsa and it was incredible!
Very delicious and pretty easy! I use a much smaller piece of cinnamon and remove it about half way through, because it can be overpowering. I used the leftovers for burritos, burrito bowls, and enchiladas with green salsa. Versatile!
My family loved these tacos. The pork has a great flavor and the perfect amount of heat. The kids keep asking for them again!
My family and all others I have served this to adore these tacos. I smoke my pork butt and prepare the sauce without chicken broth and substitute cinnamon for the cinnamon sticks. When the pork comes out of the smoker I shred and add the other ingredients which have already been blended into a paste. I serve with homemade pico de gallo, corn salsa, guacamole and cumin Crema and jalapeño/cilantro Crema, lettuce and Cotija or queso fresco. Also with sides of refried pintos and Mexican rice.
Huge crowd pleaser! I had 3 different people ask for the recipe that day. Definitely will make again. Side note, couldn’t find Pasilla chile but honestly you wouldn’t have known it was missing IMO. Still had nice heat/spice. Great with the suggested toppings of cabbage, queso fresco and mango
Simple recipe and the pork was so delicious. Cooked for the whole family and everyone loved it! Won’t be the last time I make this.
Excellent! Flavorful, Delicious, and a dish I will continue to make!
Loved this. Everybody did. I made the pork per the recipe, but I served it with rice and Brussels sprouts, and the reduced sauce. Oh, man! So good!
Tasted like it came from a restaurant. I paired it with mango salsa which sealed the deal. My son couldn’t stop eating it.