Pulled Pork Street Tacos

5 from 36 votes

These Pulled Pork Street Tacos are seriously dangerous. They're baked low and slow in the oven to create uber-tender and juicy pieces of pork. Serve this delicious pork on tacos, burritos, salads, and quesadillas.

Prep Time5

Cook Time3 15

Total Time3 20

Course: Main

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings: people

Author: Brianna May

Equipment

Ingredients

Pulled Pork

4-5 pound boneless pork shoulder or butt, cut into 7-9 pieces
1 Tablespoon Morton kosher salt*
2 Tablespoons cumin
1 ½ Tablespoons dried oregano
1 ½ Tablespoons chili powder
1 Tablespoon smoked paprika
2-3 Tablespoons neutral oil or lard*
1 large yellow or white onion, diced
10-12 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice, plus rinds
3 limes, juiced
1 12-ounce Mexican Coca-Cola*
2 bay leaves

Assembly

Chopped cilantro, diced white onion, salsa verde, cotija cheese, limes, corn tortillas

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. In a large bowl, toss the pork with the salt, cumin, oregano, chili powder, and paprika until completely coated.
4-5 pound boneless pork shoulder or butt, cut into 7-9 pieces, 1 Tablespoon Morton kosher salt*, 2 Tablespoons cumin, 1 ½ Tablespoons dried oregano, 1 ½ Tablespoons chili powder, 1 Tablespoon smoked paprika
In a 6 quart Dutch oven or large heavy bottom pot, heat 2 Tablespoons of the avocado oil (or lard) over medium-high heat. Sear the pork in batches of about 3 pieces on all sides until brown, adding more oil as needed.
2-3 Tablespoons neutral oil or lard*
Remove from pot. Do not drain any excess grease. Reduce the heat to medium.
Add the onions and sauté for 5 minutes.
1 large yellow or white onion, diced
Add the garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes. Deglaze the pot with the orange and lime juice, scraping any brown bits off the bottom of the pot.
10-12 cloves garlic, minced, 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice, plus rinds, 3 limes, juiced
Pour in the Coke and bring the mixture to a boil.
1 12-ounce Mexican Coca-Cola*
Add the seared pork and any juices from the plate back into the pot so they are submerged in the braising liquid.
Add the orange rinds and bay leaves on top.
2 bay leaves
Cover and bake for 3 hours.
Remove the pork from the pot and shred it with two forks. It should be extremely tender.
Transfer the shredded pork back into the pot with all of its juices.
Optional: Spread shredded pork onto a large sheet pan in an even layer and broil until crispy. Assemble tacos.
Chopped cilantro, diced white onion, salsa verde, cotija cheese, limes, corn tortillas

Notes

Kosher Salt: All of my recipes are tested with Morton kosher salt unless noted otherwise. It is the best salt for everyday cooking because of its size and flavor. If using table salt, the amount should be reduced. I highly recommend picking up some kosher next time you are at the store!
Oil: You can use vegetable, avocado, or olive oil. Lard can also be used for this pulled pork street tacos recipe.
Coca-Cola: Many grocery stores in Dallas sell bottles of Coca-Cola made in Mexico. They are made with real cane sugar giving the soda a better flavor. If you can’t find this, regular Coke works as well.
Add pork back into the juices. Since most of the flavor is in the pulled pork taco sauce, you’ll want to keep the meat in the juices after it’s cooked. This step will also help keep the meat juicy until you serve it on tortillas.
Use the sauce for dipping. You can create more flavorful tacos by pouring a small amount of juice into dipping cups. Then, each person can dip their tacos in the sauce as they please.
Prep the toppings while the meat cooks. In the last 30 minutes of cook time, prep the cheese, veggies, and other toppings so they're ready to go. That way, when your pulled pork with taco seasoning is done, you can start eating immediately.
Serve with homemade tortillas. Try making homemade tortillas if you have extra time and want a more authentic pulled pork street tacos recipe. You'll need corn flour, warm water, and salt. After mixing the ingredients, you'll roll them into balls, flatten them, and toss them on a pan or griddle until cooked.

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