Pulled-Pork Tacos

I found this recipe last year in Real Simple magazine. It looked good, but had a strange ingredient in it - unsweetened cocoa powder! I decided to try it for a Sunday dinner, but didn't tell anyone about the secret ingredient. I just waited for their reaction to the tacos. They loved them! After dinner I told them what was in it. I guess in Mexico they do sometimes use cocoa in their foods like this because my daughter in Florida took this to a party and a lady from Mexico got really excited and called her husband over to try it. She said it was just like she made. Who knew?

  The recipe calls for pork butt or shoulder. I found this pork butt for .89 cents a pound! Wahoo!

This is what the sauce looks like before you add the meat. The cocoa powder makes it a dark brownish color. I love that you just mix it all up in the crock pot and you don't even have to brown the meat. Couldn't be easier! This is the roast covered in the sauce, ready to cook all day.

Pulled-Pork Tacos

Real Simple Magazine

2 c store-bought salsa, plus more for serving 

2 TBSP chili powder 

2 TBSP dried oregano 

2 TBSP unsweetened cocoa powder 

Kosher salt

2 1/2 - 3 1/2 lb boneless pork butt or shoulder, trimmed of excess fat 

18 corn tortillas (I used uncooked flour tortillas and cooked them right before eating) 

1/2 c fresh cilantro sprigs, chopped 

3/4 c sour cream 

Limes, cut into wedges 

 

In a 4-6 qt slow cooker, combine the salsa, chili powder, oregano, cocoa, and 1 tsp salt. Add the pork and turn to coat. Cook, covered, until the meat is tender and pulls apart easily, on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 7-8 hours. Twenty minutes before serving, heat oven to 350 degrees. Stack the tortillas, wrap them in foil, and bake until warm, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, using 2 forks, shred the pork and stir into the cooking liquid. Serve with the tortillas, cilantro, sour cream, lime, and extra salsa.