My family loves tacos. We have them at least a couple of times a month, but that hardly means they become boring. Why? Because we mix it up. The fillings change, the wrappers change, the toppings change, and even the overall themes change. For instance, a recent adventure involved giving our tacos a decidedly Asian flavor makeover:
That's tender shredded pork swimming in a sweet garlic sauce tucked into flour tortillas alongside beautiful shredded radishes. It's a very simple meal with a lot of complex flavor going on. But don't worry, it's a meal that comes together quickly (if you're using a pressure cooker) or at least with minimal amount of fuss (if you're using either a pressure cooker or a slow cooker). The key is to stir together some simple items you may well even just have on hand to make a great sauce to cook boneless ribs in. Then, you let your kitchen tech take over. Once they've had enough cooking time using either device, you simply grab a couple of forks and pull the pork into tender shreds. After that, it's simply about assembling these amazing tacos.
Now, for me, dinner is just a few of these tasty gems and a nice dry cider. But you may wish to serve them alongside some fried rice and maybe wonton crisps and sweet & sour sauce. After all, once you've got this fusion thing started, it's pretty fun to keep it going. Enjoy!
Honey-Garlic Pork Tacos
- 1 lb. boneless country ribs
- 1/2 c. honey
- 1/2 c. soy sauce
- 1/4 c. plum jam
- 1/4 c. hoisin sauce
- 2 T. olive oil
- 4-5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 c. diced onion
- 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 T. cornstarch
- Flour tortillas, for serving
- Grated beauty heart radish, for serving
- Black sesame seeds, for serving
Arrange the ribs in a pressure cooker or slow cooker so that they are not overlapping.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the honey, soy sauce, plum jam, hoisin, olive oil, garlic, onion, and crushed red pepper flakes; pour the sauce over the ribs. Cover the pressure cooker and cook over high pressure for 10 minutes; use the quick pressure release method for your pressure cooker to end the cooking cycle. Alternately, cover the slow cooker and cook the chicken on LOW for 4 to 5 hours until the pork is fully cooked.
Using two forks, shred the pork ribs into smaller pieces. Place the shredded pork in a large bowl.
In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch with 3 tablespoons of cold water to make a slurry. Add the cornstarch mixture to the cooking liquids from the pork and sauté until it reduces and has thickened slightly, about 3 minutes. Pour the sauce over the pork, tossing to combine. Serve the pork tucked inside warm flour tortillas and topped with grated radish and sesame seeds.
- Yields: 4 servings
- Preparation Time: Pressure Cooker: 30 minutes, Slow Cooker: 4.5-5.5 hours