Chipotle Pork and Pepper Tacos
My wife and I are fortunate that our neighborhood still is home to a few amazing butchers, and we are just down the road from the Red Hook Farm which sells meat raised locally on a small scale. It is usually not a question of if we will get some or not, but what cut we will choose and from which animal. I usually vote for pork butt, an underappreciated but super flavorful piece of pig that just needs a little TLC to turn it into something magnificent. Pork butt has nice ribbons of fat that run through it, basting the meat as it slowly cooks, keeping it tender and flavorful. This fat can also easily be removed after cooking to keep any health concerns at bay.
I would recommend cooking the pork at least a day before you want to serve it, as it is just as good or better when reheated and will make for a fairly quick meal to get on the table. The pork also freezes well, so if there aren’t four of you for dinner you will have a handy stash in the freezer waiting for future feasts.
This dish intertwines the concepts of comfort and convenience and is equally welcome at a dress up dinner party or a big night in front of the TV.
Green tomatoes, as a rule, are fairly devoid of character. They are no bark and all bite- contributing texture but not a whole lot else to a recipe. For this reason, it is important not to leave out any of the other ingredients or you will have a crunchy mouth full of neutrality.
This salsa is best made at the last minute, but if that is not possible combine all of the ingredients EXCEPT the cilantro, and stir that through the mix just before serving.
Serve this texturally terrific salsa with any rich braised meat that could use a bit of crunchy freshness in its life…
CHIPOTLE PORK:
-preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C)
-season the pork butt with salt and freshly ground pepper.
-heat the olive oil in a braising pan and place over high heat.
Note: A braising pan is something that works equally well on the cook top and in the oven- I find that enamel cookware with a lid like le Creuset works best, but if you don’t have something for braising you can always cook the items in a sauté pan and then place it all in a pyrex oven safe dish and cover with foil.
-place the seasoned pork into the braising pan and cook on all sides until they turn a nice golden brown.
-temporarily remove the pork from the pan and place on a plate. Lower the heat to medium-low. Plenty of fat should have rendered off of the pork, but if the pan looks dry feel free to add a splash more olive oil.
-add the onion, garlic, and carrot to the pan and slowly cook until they are soft and almost translucent (about 10 minutes). Add the herbs, spices, and canned chipotle and cook for another minute or two.
-raise the heat to high and add the pork back into the pan.
-add the chicken stock and bring to a boil
-cover the pan and place in the oven for 2 hours, removing the lid for the last 20 minutes (this will allow the sauce to thicken up and the meat to brown a little further). The meat is ready when it can be pulled apart with a fork.
-allow the pork to cool for 20 minutes, then strain any remaining liquid into a bowl. Place the bowl in the refrigerator until it is cold. This will allow the fat to rise to the top of the bowl, and when the sauce becomes cold the fat will solidify, making it easy to remove from the sauce.
-remove the pork from the pan when cool enough to handle and break into large chunks, removing the large pieces of fat (feel free to throw these away- they have already served their purpose).
-add the pork chunks back to the pan along with the sauce (with the fat removed) and the vegetables. Refrigerate until needed.
GREEN TOMATO SALSA:
-combine all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir to combine
-done- easy, right?
TO SERVE:
Chipotle pork and peppers
Green tomato salsa
8-10 flour tortillas
1 cup of sour cream (or full fat yogurt)
Picked cilantro leaves
Slices of avocado (optional)
Oaxaca string cheese or crumbled queso blanco (optional)
-place the chipotle pork and pepper mixture in a pot and slowly bring the mix up to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cover until needed
-heat the tortillas over an open flame
-place all of the garnishes on the table, along with the pork, and allow your guests to build their ideal taco.
Brad Farmerie
Brad Farmerie grew up in Pittsburgh in a food-loving family, where his mother exposed him to a variety of cuisines from a young age, always insisting on home baked bread and vegetables straight from the family garden. After a brief college hiatus spent exploring the cuisines and wines of Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and the Antipodes, Farmerie followed his love for food to the UK and earned his "Grande Diplome" at Le Cordon Bleu in 1996. He further rounded out his education and technique at acclaimed restaurants Coast, Chez Nico and Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons. Most influential to his own style was his experience working with Peter Gordon at the Sugar Club, and he went on to assist Gordon and Anna Hansen in opening the critically-acclaimed The Providores and Tapa Room in 1996. In 2003 Farmerie moved back to the States to help conceive PUBLIC, AvroKO’s first self-propelled restaurant. In the fall of 2008, Farmerie extended his culinary reach as executive chef of AvroKO Restaurant Group’s Double Crown and Madam Geneva, which takes as its inspiration the unique cuisine that emerged when the British colonized the countries of South Asia and the Far East.