Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Mexican Pulled Pork with tortillas

In preparing this dish of Mexican Pulled Pork with tortillas, my mind flew back to the time I visited Mexico many years ago. It was an excursion during a tour of the USA, and we did a day trip to Tijuana, from San Diego.

I honestly can’t remember what we ate, probably something in a café – we did eat a lot of ‘soup and salad’ while in the US, and I recall drinking some 7UP in Tijuana. I was pretty excited about the duty-free shopping there and picked up some Estee Lauder perfume (!!!) because, at the time, the Aussie dollar was hopeless against the greenback, so Mexico was fairly cheap in comparison. I also bought some little handcrafted dolls from a street vendor, as souvenirs.

Well, Tijuana was hot and dry and a bit grimy, and it was a relief to get back onto our pink tour bus/coach for the journey back. The most exciting part of the trip was having the coach searched at the border, with the armed guards looking at the underside of the bus and in the hold for any stowaways. When they realised it was just a bus full of gawking, English-speaking tourists, they lost interest and waved us through without even checking our passports. So much for any hoped-for intrigue, because there was none, so it was a rather sanitised visit, as far as I was concerned.

This recipe can also be made in a pan on the stove – just simmer for 1½ hours and you too can experience the flavours (though slightly restrained) of Mexico.

Mexican Pulled Pork
serves 4

Ingredients
2 tblsp olive oil
500g piece pork scotch fillet
2 medium brown onions, sliced
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tblsp ground cumin
2 dried bay leaves
400g can diced tomatoes
Flour tortillas or rice
Avocado, green chilli and lime wedges, to serve

Method
1. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Sear the pork on all sides until browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer the pork to a slow cooker.

2. Heat the remaining oil in the pan and add the onion, cooking until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, cumin and bay leaves and cook for another 1 minute.

3. Stir in the tomatoes plus ½ cup of cold water. Season with salt and pepper, then bring to the boil. Remove from the heat.

4. Pour the tomato mixture over the pork in the slow cooker and cook on Low for 6 hours.

5. When ready to serve, remove the pork from the cooker and shred the meat using 2 forks.

6. Heat the tortillas, if using, and top with the pork and some of the tomato sauce. Serve with sliced chilli and lemon wedges. Alternatively, serve the pork and sauce with rice.

recipe adapted from taste.com.au

Ingredients, including tomatoes, onion, cumin, bay leaves and pork, and a lime, green chilli and avocado for later.
The pork is shredded with forks ('pulled') after it's cooked, and just look at that luscious meat.

Serve the pork and its sauce on warmed flour tortillas with the chilli and lime.
The avocado ended up being hard as a rock, so I didn't use it in the end and replaced it with some salad leaves.

Make like Speedy Gonzales (who is from Guadalajara, Mexico) to get your hands on this delicious dish.

10 comments:

  1. I always want to try to make my own pulled pork but because I still live with my parents, they kind of take charge of that area. Plus, its a long process. Yours look so vibrant and fresh! Order for one, please!

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  2. I just love making Mexican pulled pork but somehow I always end up with a generous slick of oil on top when I take it out of the oven. Yours is much leaner than my artery-clogging version!

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  3. Even though I live closer than you I've never been to Mexico at all! So this dish will actually be the closest I'll get. :)

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  4. Pulled pork is in my top 5 of favourite things to eat. My household is in the midst of a mexican phase at the moment so I have added this recipe to the list!

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  5. Cumin, pork and lime is among the heavenliest (that's a new one) of heavenly combinations. Yum!!

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  6. Mmm yum I love pulled pork! I've only ever made it once and it turned out okay but I think I'll try your recipe next time! Thanks for sharing

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  7. What a co-indence? I made tacos yesterday for lunch but with fish. I love pulled pork but have not made it the mexican way. I have to try your recipe the next time I make pulled pork.

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  8. Thank you for sharing the recipe. I've had pretty awful Mexican fare in London including the one recommended by Gwyneth Paltrow via her blog. Must try making this.

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  9. I wish I could grab that off from the screen! It looks so moreish!

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