These citrus braised pork tacos are topped with pickled red onions and a sweet & spicy sauce! These tacos have the best flavor! Can be made in the oven, slow cooker or electric pressure cooker!
This is another recipe courtesy of the totally awesome Cook’s Country Magazine. The Christmas gift that gave all year! The best kind of gift. So this summer we went to Bear Lake in Utah with my husbands family. This was one of the recipes we made while we were there. It was a total hit. The pork flavor is just so good! It’s a deep citrus flavor with tomato past and some really good spices like cinnamon and cumin. I’m telling you, it’s worth the little extra time and ingredients. I am not a huge pork person actually but this recipe has become a fast favorite. I’ve made it in the slow cooker and my new electric pressure cooker!
I was able to snag the Instant Pot for a great deal on Amazon Prime day and it has not disappointed! I bet they will have a great Black Friday or Cyber Monday deal coming up too. I have been trying lots of recipes in it and hope to share more soon. So this recipe can actually be made 3 ways. The first time I made it in a slow cooker. And the second time I made it in my electric pressure cooker. The original recipe starts on the stove top in a dutch oven and finishes in the oven.
I have this dutch oven, I love it so much! So next time I make this, I am going to make it in my dutch oven and report an update! Really however you wanna make it, just do it ok? Please?! The pickled onions are so good too. They turn a bright pretty pink color and you can use the leftovers (if you have any) on sandwiches!
Can we talk about the sauce for a quick second? It’s awesome orange color is from the carrot. You boil it with a tomato and a few other ingredients till soft, then blend it all up! You don’t need a ton on your taco cause it is HOT! I loved it but if you are spice adverse, just use a jalapeño or two. I’ve made it both ways and actually enjoyed the habanero best. But I like spicy food! I only used half of a habanero, those things are hot. But it goes so well with the onions and pork.
This is such a simple taco, pork, pickled onions and a nice spicy sauce with so much flavor. If you have leftover pork, it’s great on nachos or quesadillas too! (Also, I can’t ever say the word quesadilla without thinking of Napoleon Dynamite) Enjoy!
- FOR THE PORK:
- 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 onion, chopped fine
- 3 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅓ cup tomato paste
- 1½ cups water
- ¼ cup frozen orange juice concentrate
- 3 Tablespoons distilled white vinegar
- 1½ Tablespoons worcestershire sauce
- 5 bay leaves
- salt & pepper
- 1 (2-3 pound) boneless pork butt roast or pork tip roast
- FOR THE ONIONS:
- 1 red onion, halved and sliced thin
- 1 cup distilled white vinegar
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- FOR THE HABANERO SAUCE:
- 1 cup water
- 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
- 1 tomato, cored and chopped
- ¼ cup chopped onion
- ½ habanero chili, stemmed (or jalapeño for less-spicy)
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- salt and pepper
- 1 Tablespoon distilled white vinegar
- 1½ teaspoons lime juice + lime wedges for serving
- 18 corn tortillas, warmed
- FOR THE PORK:
- In a dutch oven- Preheat your oven to 300 degrees and place the rack to lower middle. Heat the oil in your dutch oven over medium heat until simmering. Add the onion and cook until lightly browned, 4-6 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, oregano, allspice and cinnamon. Cook for 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato paste and cook, stiring constantly, until paste begins to darken, about 45 seconds. Stir in water, orange juice concentrate, 2 tablespoons vinegar, worcestershire, bay leaves, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Add the pork and bring to boil. Place in the oven and cook uncovered for 2 hours, stirring once halfway through.
- In an Instant Pot- Add your oil to the pot and turn it to sauté setting. Add the onion and cook until lightly browned, 4-6 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, oregano, allspice and cinnamon. Cook for 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato paste and cook, stiring constantly, until paste begins to darken, about 45 seconds. Stir in water, orange juice concentrate, 2 tablespoons vinegar, worcestershire, bay leaves, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Add the pork and bring to boil. Place the lid on the pressure cooker to seal and set on manual for 50 minutes (more or less depending on the exact size of your roast). Use natural release.
- In a slow cooker- turn it on to high and add your oil. When it's nice and hot add the onion and cook until lightly browned, 4-6 minutes. Next add the garlic, cumin, oregano, allspice and cinnamon. Cook for 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato paste and cook, stiring constantly, until paste begins to darken, about 45 seconds. Stir in water, orange juice concentrate, 2 tablespoons vinegar, worcestershire, bay leaves, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Add the pork and turn to low. Cook for 6-8 hours or until done.
- FOR THE ONIONS:
- While the roast is cooking, prepare your onions. Place the sliced onions in a medium bowl.
- In a pot over the stove, bring the vinegar, sugar and salt to simmer over medium-high heat, siring occasional, until sugar dissolves. Pour over onions and cover loosely. Let onions cool, about 30 minutes. They can be refrigerated for up to 1 week (any leftovers are great on sandwiches).
- FOR THE HABANERO SAUCE:
- Combine the water, carrot, tomato, onion, habanero (or jalapeño if you want it less spicy), garlic and ½ teaspoon salt in pan. Bring to boil over medium heart and cook until carrot is tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let carrot mixture cool slightly, about 5 minutes. Transfer to blender, add vinegar and lime juice then process until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.
- When the pork is done, discard the bay leaves. Use a potato masher to mash the pork or 2 forks to shred. Turn up the heat and cook for 3-5 minutes or until some liquid has evaporated. Stir in the remaining 1 Tablespoon vinegar and season with salt and pepper if needed.
- Warm the tortillas. Layer tortillas with pork, onions and sauce. Squeeze fresh lime juice over the top.
Recipe adapted from Cook’s Country Magazine June/July 2016
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Did the IP recipe brown the meat like the oven did?
No it does not
-Adell
Hello – for the ingredients it shows 1/4 frozen orange juice concentrate – is that 1/4 cut or 1/4 of the can? Thanks!
1/4 cup! Sorry, I will fix that.
Hello – in the ingredients list it shows 1/4 frozen orange juice concentrate…is that 1/4 cup or 1/4 of the can? Thanks!
So sorry! I fixed the recipe. Yes, 1/4 cup!
Can I freeze the habenero sauce?
I think you totally could!