Yeah, it's officially hot here in Northern Wisconsin, and without air conditioning in our vintage 1960s cottage, any desire to turn the stove on has been reduced to nil. Hence, another slow cooker recipe for you today! My original plan was to make spicy shredded chicken tacos, but all that was left in the freezer section of my favorite local natural foods store were two packages of chicken drumsticks, so I had to come up with a new plan, stat. As an alternative, I grabbed the last package of fresh pork chops and decided that my tacos would instead have pork as the featured ingredient. This recipe requires taco sauce; you can easily "cheat" and use your favorite store-bought brand, or take the extra 20 minutes to whip up your own from scratch (trust me, it's easy!).
These tacos are spicy, hearty, and definitely make for a satisfying dinner. Add an icy-cold cerveza on the side, and you've got yourself a great meal for a hot summer evening.
Slow Cooker Spicy Shredded Pork Tacos (printer-friendly version)
makes 6-8 servings
For the taco sauce:
extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon chopped jalapeño
1 cup organic tomato puree
1 cup low-sodium vegetable stock
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
For the pork chops:
1 pound boneless organic pork chops, trimmed of any excess fat
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon coriander
1 cup taco sauce (see above)
1. Heat 1-2 teaspoons of olive oil in a medium sauce pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and saute until softened and golden brown. Add in the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the chopped jalapeño, tomato puree, vegetable stock, chili powder, cumin, and oregano. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened slightly. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.
2. Season both sides of each pork chop with salt and pepper and place the pork chops in the bottom of a 2-quart slow cooker bowl. Top the pork chops with the chopped onion, crushed garlic cloves, chili powder, cumin, paprika, and coriander. Pour one cup of the taco sauce over top everything. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on high for 2-3 hours (or low for 4-6 hours), or until the pork chops reach 140 degrees.
3. Once cooked, remove the pork chops from the slow cooker and shred with a fork. Return the meat back to the slow cooker and stir to coat in the sauce.
4. Serve the spicy shredded pork with your favorite taco fixings -- my spread included flour tortillas, avocado slices, queso fresco, baby spinach leaves, salsa, and Greek yogurt.
makes 6-8 servings
For the taco sauce:
extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon chopped jalapeño
1 cup organic tomato puree
1 cup low-sodium vegetable stock
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
For the pork chops:
1 pound boneless organic pork chops, trimmed of any excess fat
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon coriander
1 cup taco sauce (see above)
1. Heat 1-2 teaspoons of olive oil in a medium sauce pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and saute until softened and golden brown. Add in the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the chopped jalapeño, tomato puree, vegetable stock, chili powder, cumin, and oregano. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened slightly. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.
2. Season both sides of each pork chop with salt and pepper and place the pork chops in the bottom of a 2-quart slow cooker bowl. Top the pork chops with the chopped onion, crushed garlic cloves, chili powder, cumin, paprika, and coriander. Pour one cup of the taco sauce over top everything. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on high for 2-3 hours (or low for 4-6 hours), or until the pork chops reach 140 degrees.
3. Once cooked, remove the pork chops from the slow cooker and shred with a fork. Return the meat back to the slow cooker and stir to coat in the sauce.
4. Serve the spicy shredded pork with your favorite taco fixings -- my spread included flour tortillas, avocado slices, queso fresco, baby spinach leaves, salsa, and Greek yogurt.
