Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Mexican Slow Cooker Tacos

I found this recipe on www.simplyrecipes.com  I absolutely love it because on any given day I pretty much have all the ingredients in my spice cabinet.   I try to pick up boneless country style pork ribs whenever they're on sale and this has become our Tuesday Taco night favorite!  Tuesdays are our crazy, everyone going 100 different directions, day so we love this recipe!!

**I have never taken the time to brown this roast and I have never marinated it over night.  I just rub the dry rub on each piece, put them in the crock pot and let it cook.  And both times I have made this, I did not get it in the crock pot until after 11am.  I set it on high and it cooks to the perfect shredding tenderness by 5pm.  No doubt it would be even yummier on low for longer. :)

 INGREDIENTS
The rub:
  • 4 Tbsp chili powder
  • 1 Tbsp kosher salt
  • 1 Tbsp brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne
  • 1 teaspoon ground oregano
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • Scant pinch of ground cloves
The roast -- (I have always used country style pork)
  • 3 1/2 pound boneless pork shoulder roast
  • 2 Tbsp vegetable oil

METHOD

1 Whisk together the rub ingredients in a small bowl.
2 If the roast is tied up with butcher string, untie it. Pat the roast dry with paper towels. Rub the spice mix into the roast all over, reserving any leftover spice mix for later. Marinate in the rub at least one hour or overnight.
3 Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan on medium high heat. (If you are using a slow cooker with a removable container that can be used on the stovetop, use that, otherwise use a separate pan.) Place the roast in the pan and brown on all sides.
4 Place the roast in a slow cooker, and add any reserved spice rub. Cook on the low setting for 6 to 10 hours, until the pork is fall apart tender.
5 Remove the roast from the slow cooker and place on a cutting board. Cut into large chunks. Then use two forks to pull the meat apart into bite sized shreds. Return the shreds to the slow cooker and toss to coat with the juice from the roast.
Serve with tortillas, avocados, and salsa.
Yield: Serves 8.