Spicy Pulled Pork #49

Let's be honest, Michael is the pork cooker around here.  When I asked him to stop by our local butcher store and pick me up a pork shoulder, he even commented, "Are you trying to outdo me?"  I am going to try this recipe in the oven this time because I want to do it all by myself, but in the future, I'm definitely going to let him put it in his smoker to see the difference.  This is another recipe from The Pioneer Woman's cookbook.  Michael had delicious, smoked brisket tacos last week at an upscale restaurant in Nashville.  I've been trying to think of a way to make a different type of tacos ever since then.  I just happened to be flipping through Pioneer Woman's cookbook and remembered these!  I'm going to try them two ways: one with salsa, lime juice, cilantro, and sour cream wrapped in a tortilla and the other with BBQ sauce on a bun.














The case:
Ingredients
4 pounds (up To 7 Pounds) Pork Shoulder
1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
1 teaspoon Chili Powder
1 Tablespoon (to 2 Tablespoons) Salt
Pepper To Taste
3 cloves (to 4 Cloves) Garlic
1 Tablespoon (to 2 Tablespoons) Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons (to 3 Tablespoons) White Wine Vinegar
¼ cups Brown Sugar
1 whole Onion
Lime Wedges

Preparation Instructions
1.  Rinse and pat dry the pork shoulder.
2.  To begin, just throw the dried oregano, cumin, chili powder, salt, black pepper, garlic, olive oil, white wine vinegar and brown sugar into a food processor or blender. (I happen to love brown sugar in my cooking, but you can decrease or omit it if you like.)
3.  Cut one onion into quarters and put it in the food processor with the spices. Blend mixture until totally combined and then pour it over the pork shoulder.
4. Now rub it into every nook and cranny of the meat, tucking it under folds an in crevices. Let no stone go unturned. Then place the pork into a roasting pan or Dutch oven and add a couple of cups of water.
5. Cover tightly and roast pork at 300º for several hours, turning once every hour.
6. When it is fork tender crank up the heat, remove the lid, and roast it, skin side up for another 15 to 20 minutes to get the skin crispy. When it’s done let it rest for 15 minutes before shredding. 7.  Shred the pork shoulder (two forks work well). When it’s all shredded be sure to pour the juices all over the meat. Serve with warm tortillas, lime wedges, sour cream, pico de gallo, guacamole, tomatillo salsa …

The fixings:

All put together:

The ruling:
Where to begin.... I'll start with what Michael said, "This is so many familiar flavors mixed in a new way, and it is so delicious."  He said this was one of his favorite things I've ever made, and that this was something he would expect to get at a Bobby Flay restaurant.  I don't think I even need to say more.  If you like Southwest cuisine- try this!