Spicy, succulent BBQ Pulled Pork Tacos, cooked to sous vide perfection, shredded and stuffed into soft taco shells, along side plantains for a sweet twist.
It's another edition of TACO TUESDAY! Today we're serving up Sous Vide Pulled Pork Tacos with a side of sweet, tangy, spicy, crunchy and creamy. I knew you'd be onboard!
We love tacos, but the Dude and I have very differing views on how to build a taco. His approach is minimalist - a little meat, maybe a topping or two to fit neatly into the little tortillas that we often make at home.
I am a go-big-or-go-home taco builder! Pile on the meat and toppings to create layers of flavour until the seams of the still warm, nicely charred tortilla burst open and the innards escape via a path along my chin and arms, inevitably leading to a soiled or stained garmet. YUMMMM!
The Rub
Next to the slow, steady cook, the rub really made this piece of pork pop. If you can guess the top layer ingredients shown in the photo above, I'll share the recipe, but then I may have to make you disappear...
The amount and type of seasoning on a piece of meat is very personal, IMO. So I generally provide loose guidelines, or no amount. I generally cook from taste, rather than recipes, as I feel it's the best way to produce a meal that is to your taste, or that of your family, or for whomever you cook.
So use a rub of your preference, that works well with pork and add as little, or as much to suit your taste. If you aren't cooking it sous vide, season it and let it sit overnight in the refrigerator for best taste results. You can do the same for sous vide, but because the cook is long and the temperature low, I have found less need to marinate overnight.
The Cook
This cook went about six hours longer than initially intended. We put it on to cook the night before, so that it would complete its 24-hour bath just in time for our arrival home from work.
Well, we were both significantly delayed and bath time ran six hours into overtime. I don't need to explain the disaster that would spell, had we been dealing with an oven...
We came home to the juiciest piece of pork, we have ever had and ate a good chunk of it straight from the bag. So now thirty hours at seventy degrees is our preferred time and temp for cooking a piece of pork this size.
Wrap It Up
I grew up on plantains - baked, fried, green - it was rare not to see it on our plates most meals. I liked how the sweetness complemented the hits of spicy in the meat. Taco Tuesday perfection!
Ingredients
For the pulled pork:
- 1.5 kilogram pork butt or shoulder boneless
- 2-4 tablespoons BBQ pork rub season to your taste
- vegetable oil enough to cover the bottom of a skillet, for browning
- ¼ cup barbecue sauce to your taste
- 1-2 green onions thinly sliced
For the tacos:
- tortilla
- plantain fried or baked
- sweet and hot peppers
- avocado
- cilantro
Instructions
Cook the pork:
- Heat the water bath to 70ºC/158ºF.
- Clean the pork and pat dry. Coat the meat with your favourite rub and vacuum seal. Place in the heated water bath and cook for 24-30 hours.
- Remove from water bath when ready and leave to stand at room temperature, in the bag, for about 25 minutes.
- Unseal the bag, pour the contents into a large, rimmed container and shred. The meat will still be hot, so I wear gloves and pull it apart with my fingers. You may use a couple forks or tongs instead. Let rest in its juices for about 5 minutes, then strain of the juices, but don't discard.
- Brown and crisp the meat in a hot heavy skillet with the oil, without drying out the meat - about 10 minutes. Add the juices that were strained off previously and stir in the barbecue sauce and green onions. Allow to simmer just for a few minutes, then serve warm with your choice of toppings.
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