Mojo Roasted Pork Tacos

We all have our own love language; ways of showing affection, of welcoming people in. For me, a home cooked meal is the truest gesture of care and generosity. With all of the recipes in my repertoire, there’s one I turn to time after time again when entertaining people I love: mojo roasted pork tacos. What better way to break the ice with strangers, friends and lovers alike than with a meal that requires you leave pretension at the door? It’s a communal pass the bowl style meal. You eat with your fingers and get sauce on your chin. And better yet, it’s the perfect way to involve any eager guests to get chopping. While I am by no means an authority of traditional Mexican cuisine, this taco recipe is a foolproof and simple guarantee for a flavorful evening of delight. 

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Ingredients

For the mojo paste:

• 1 medium shallot (roughly chopped)

• 6 cloves of garlic 

• 1.5 teaspoon cumin (toasted, then ground)

• 1 teaspoon coriander (toasted, then ground)

• 1 tbsp olive oil 

• Zest of 1 orange, plus 1 tbsp juice

• Zest of 1 lime, plus 1 tbsp juice 

• ½ tsp raw honey 

• ¼ teaspoon chipotle powder, or any chili powder you have on hand 

• 1.5 teaspoon sea salt 

• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

For the pork roast:

• 1 3-lbs pasture raised pork shoulder 

• 1 bottle or can of Modelo (this is optional - if not using, replace with another cup of bone broth + the juice of half an orange)

• 1 cup slow cooked chicken bone broth* 

• 1 teaspoon ghee or olive oil 

• Salt and pepper to season 

For the tacos:

• Corn tortillas*

• Sliced avocado 

• Sliced jalapenos 

• Persimmon salsa

• Crema (made simply by seasoning creme fraiche or sour cream with a touch of lime and a pinch of salt)

• An assortment of your favorite hot sauces

• Lime
  
  

Directions

1. First, make your mojo paste. I make mine in a mortar and pestle because I prefer to work hands on with my ingredients when I can, and find the process of pounding the ingredients down into an emulsified mush very gratifying. If you don’t care for this effort, or don’t have a big enough mortar and pestle, simply combine all of the ingredients in a food processor and blend till moderately smooth. If using a mortar, combine the garlic and shallots with the salt and pound till emulsified. Add in your spices, zests, juice, and olive oil and mix to combine. Set this aside while you sear your pork. 

2. This recipe works equally well in a dutch oven as it does in a slow cooker. If using a dutch oven, preheat your oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. 

3. Pat your pork shoulder dry, then season generously all over with salt and pepper. 

4. Heat your dutch oven (or a cast iron pan if you’re going to cook the pork in a slow cooker) on the stove over high heat. Add a touch of ghee to lubricate the pan - ghee is ideal here as it has a very high smoke point, but if you don’t have any on hand by all means olive oil is fine. Add the pork shoulder to the pan and sear it on all sides until nicely browned. Don’t rush this process - we want to let the maillard reaction do its magical thing. 

5. Once your pork shoulder is caramelized on all sides, remove it from the heat and set it on a work surface. Let it cool till manageable, then rub it down all over in the mojo paste. 

6. Place the mojo smothered pork shoulder back in the dutch oven (or slow cooker), add the modelo and bone broth, cover with a tight fitting lid, and place in the preheated oven. The beauty of this recipe is that you can borderline neglect your roasting pork shoulder for the next 3-4 hours or so, making a point to check on it once or twice to make sure that too much of the liquid hasn’t evaporated. The roast is done when the pork is practically begging to be shredded apart. 

7. To serve, shred the pork in the braising juices. As with all good cooking, it’s essential to taste your food - now is the time to give it a taste, and adjust the seasoning however you see fit. Bring all of your ingredients to the table, and rejoice in that the time to gather again is just around the corner. 

*There is nothing like a freshly made tortilla. If you want to take these tacos to the next level, I highly recommend learning how to make your own tortillas at home from masa harina. Karla Zazueta of Mexican Food Memories is a deep well of wisdom and offers online Mexican cooking classes, including a deep dive tutorial on how to make tortillas at home! 

*Using an unsalted bone broth is the best way to ensure that your finished product won’t be too salty, as the broth reduces and concentrates as the pork roasts. Most store bought bone broths are pre-seasoned with salt. If you are using a salted broth, I recommend cutting the salt in the mojo paste down to 1 teaspoon. 

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About the Author

Vilda Gonzalez is the Food Editor at The Thirlby, an avid home cook, and studying to become a holistic nutritionist. She is the founder and chef of Sol-Eir, an ongoing series of alchemized food and beverage experiences. Her mission is to rewire our collective relationship to what eating well truly means; with the highest regard of respect for our body, our community, and our earth. She believes that food should be delicious, flavorful, and indulgent, but it should also be deeply nourishing, regenerative, and inherently healthful. Vilda also works with individuals to strengthen their personal relationships with food through means of intuitive cooking and connection.