Pork Rind Tacos Recipes

CRAVE-WORTHY GROUND PORK TACOS

Steps:

• Heat a wide skillet over medium heat then add the oil. When the oil is hot, press the pork down into the pan, spreading it out as thin as you can so that it browns evenly on one side, about 5 minutes.
• When it begins to brown on one side, use a wooden spoon to break the pork up into small crumbles. Continue to cook until browned on all sides, about 3 minutes.
• Toss 1 tablespoon of the taco seasoning with the pork. Taste a small crumble to see if it needs more seasoning and adjust from there - when using our homemade taco seasoning mix, we use 2 tablespoons.
• Stir in the water and let it come to a simmer. The mixture will thicken and coat the pork. Season with a pinch or two of salt (if you are using packaged seasoning, it may already have salt added).
• Wrap tortillas, in two stacks, with aluminum foil. Place into the oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until heated through. Fill each warmed tortilla with pork and your favorite toppings. We particularly love these with mashed avocado spread onto the bottom of each tortilla then topped with pork, cabbage, pickled onions and sour cream.

DEE'S ROAST PORK FOR TACOS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
• Place the roast on top of a large piece of aluminum foil. In a small bowl, stir together the green chiles, chili powder, oregano, taco seasoning and garlic. Rub onto the roast. Wrap foil around the roast so that it is completely covered, using additional aluminum foil if necessary. Place on top of a roasting rack in a baking dish, or place a cookie sheet on an oven rack below to catch any leaks.
• Roast the meat for 3 1/2 to 4 hours in the preheated oven, until falling apart. Cook to at least 145 degrees F (63 degrees C). Remove from the oven, and shred into small pieces using two forks. Season with salt to taste.

CHICHARRONES TACOS

Steps:

• In a large, heavy skillet, add the pork fat and salt and cook over low heat until the pork has fully rendered its fat and the pieces are puffed and airy, about 40 minutes. Transfer the chicharrones to a large saucepan, add the tomatillo salsa, and cook on medium-high heat until the sauce is almost dried up and coats the chicharrones, about 9 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and serve immediately, or keep warm in the pan until ready to serve.
• To serve, lay the tortillas side by side, open face and overlapping on a platter. Divide the filling equally between the tortillas and top with garnish and salsa. Grab, fold, and eat right away. Or build your own taco: lay a tortilla, open face, in one hand. Spoon on some filling, top with garnish and salsa, fold, and eat right away.

SHREDDED PORK TACOS

Steps:

• In a large (5-quart) heavy pot, heat oil over medium. Add onion, garlic, thyme, oregano, and bay leaves; season with salt and pepper. Cook until onion has softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste. Add pork, tomatoes (breaking them up) and their juice, chipotle, and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until meat is very tender, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Discard bay leaves.
• Using tongs, transfer meat to a large bowl; shred with two forks, discarding any large pieces of fat or gristle. Return meat to pan, and simmer until sauce is thick, 30 to 45 minutes more. Season, if necessary, with salt and pepper. Proceed to next step, or cover and refrigerate, up to 1 day.
• Spoon pork and sauce into toasted tortillas, using 2 tortillas for each serving; top with queso fresco and cilantro. Serve with Crunchy Slaw with Radishes, if desired.

PORK RIND TACOS

Steps:

• Break up rinds. If you are using salted pork rinds, mix them with water. Bring to a boil, and drain. If unsalted, skip this step. Combine rinds, onion, tomato, cilantro, chilies, vinegar, and 1 cup water. Season to your liking. Bring to a boil, then simmer 10 - 15 minutes. Heat corn tortillas on a griddle. Fill with mixture and serve.

BRAISED PORK TACOS

Steps:

• Put the chiles into a small bowl and cover with hot water; set aside. In a large heavy bottomed pan with a tight fitting lid, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil. Generously season the pork with salt and pepper. Brown the meat well on both sides, about 5 minutes per side; remove the meat and set aside. Add the onion, pepper, garlic, cumin, thyme, and bay leaf; fry until softened, about 5 minutes, scraping up the browned bits in the pan. Stem and seed the soaked chiles reserving the soaking liquid; hand tear them into the pot. Return the meat to the pan along with any accumulated juices. Top the meat with the tomatoes. Pour in the chili soaking liquid, straining out any seeds, until it almost covers the meat; add water if you need more liquid. Squeeze the orange and lime juices into the pot and add the rinds. Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for about 1 1/2 hours, or until the pork is very tender. Remove the meat to a platter and cover to keep warm. Strain the braising liquid and reserve.
• Shred the pork. Add some of the reserved braising liquid if the meat is dry. Take a tortilla and place about 2 tablespoons of the mixture on top. Garnish with the avocado, radishes, and Salsa Verde; fold the sides up and serve.
• Put the masa harina in a bowl and mix in the salt. Add about 1 cup warm water and mix with your hands; add more water as needed until the dough comes together. Knead for a few minutes to smooth the dough out. The dough should be firm and springy and should not stick to your hands. Test by forming a small disk, if it cracks around the edges you need more water.
• Place a piece of heavy plastic (like from a garbage bag) onto a tortilla press. Form a 1 1/2-inch ball of dough and place it in the center of the press. Top with another piece of plastic, close the press, and push the lever down to form the tortilla. (Alternately, the dough balls can be rolled between plastic sheets with a rolling pin.) Open the press and remove the top layer of plastic. Carefully peel the tortilla off the bottom plastic and place it onto a hot, ungreased cast iron skillet; cook for about 1 to 2 minutes per side. Remove the tortilla and place it on a clean tea towel; keep it covered to keep it soft and pliable. Continue until you have used up all the dough.
• Yield: 20 (6-inch) tortillas
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 40 minutes
• Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the tomatillos, jalapeno, onion, garlic, and 1 tablespoon salt. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 5 to 10 minutes until the tomatillos are soft but have not burst. Add the cooked vegetables to a blender with the cilantro leaves and lime juice. Pour in 1/4 cup of the reserved cooking liquid and process to a coarse puree. Taste and adjust seasoning with more cilantro, lime juice, or salt.
• Yield: 2 cups

PORK RIND NACHOS

Steps:

• Turn a deep fryer to 350 degrees F. When the fryer reaches 350 degrees, place a handful of uncooked pork rinds into the hot oil. Allow the rinds to cook and expand in the oil for 3 to 5 minutes. Don't overcook or the rinds will become tough. (If you don't have a fryer, you can substitute pre-cooked store-bought pork rinds.)
• Place the beef into a hot fry pan. Lightly mix the beef with half of the taco seasoning and fry and chop into smaller pieces until the beef is fully cooked.
• Find a round 9-inch plate and place the lightly crisped pork rinds onto the plate. Sprinkle the rinds with the remaining taco seasoning. Then top the rinds with the cooked and drained taco meat pieces. Put on the Mexican cheese. Place the plate into the microwave for 2 minutes to melt the cheese. Remove the nachos from the microwave and the top with lettuce, jalapeños, onions and tomatoes. Serve with a side of sour cream and your favorite salsa.

SLOW-ROASTED PORK FOR TACOS

Steps:

• Sliver 4 cloves of the garlic and use a thin-bladed knife to poke holes all over the pork; insert garlic slivers in holes.
• Combine the peppercorns, oregano, cumin, cinnamon and coriander in a small skillet and turn the heat to medium. Toast, shaking the pan occasionally, until the mixture is fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Combine the toasted spices, salt and remaining garlic in the container of a small food processor or blender. Turn on the machine and gradually add the orange and lemon juice until you have a smooth purée. Rub all over the pork; let the pork sit at room temperature for up to 2 hours or in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
• At least 2 hours before you plan to eat, turn the oven to 300 degrees or prepare a charcoal or gas grill to cook over low indirect heat. Put the pork in a roasting pan in the oven or directly on the grill rack; if you're grilling, cover the grill. Cook, checking occasionally and basting with the pan juices if you're roasting (add water to bottom of pan if mixture dries out), until pork is brown and very, very tender, at least 2 hours. Shred or slice pork and use hot or at room temperature (pork can be refrigerated for up to 2 days).

SHREDDED PORK TACOS

Steps:

• In a skillet, brown pork in oil. Remove from pan and keep warm. In same skillet, saute onion and garlic in drippings until tender. Stir in the tomato sauce, chilies, chili powder, salt, oregano, cumin and pepper. Add pork; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until pork is tender., Cool slightly; shred with two forks. Return to sauce; heat through. Serve in tortillas with lettuce and tomato if desired.

MINDY'S PORK TACOS

Steps:

• Cut the pork roast into thirds, and place in a pot with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 1 hour, or until pork reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees F (63 degrees C). Drain, cool, and shred.
• Place the shredded pork in a bowl, and season with garlic salt, salt, and pepper. Mix in the Cheddar cheese and onion.
• Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Place equal amounts of the pork mixture in the center of each corn tortilla, and fold in half to form tacos. One or two at a time, cook the tacos in the hot oil until golden brown.