Smoked Pulled Pork Tacos
Shredded smoked pork braised in citrus and spices makes a healthy filling for tacos.With your favorite fresh toppings, tacos have never tasted better!
Ingredients
Smoked Pork
- 6 pounds boneless pork see Ingredients for more information
- 3 tablespoons mole spice blend see Notes below
- 1 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 orange juiced; flesh and rind in pot
- 1 lemon juiced; flesh and rind in pot
- 1 lime juiced; flesh and rind in pot
- 2 cinnamon sticks*
- 6 whole cloves*
- 2 bay leaves*
- 2 cups chicken broth/stock
Tacos and Toppings
- shredded smoked pork
- mango salsa see Taco Toppings for more ideas
- shredded cabbage
- crumbled cotija
- radishes
- avocado
- corn tortillas about 3 per serving
- lime wedges
- cilantro
Instructions
- Soak your hardwood chunks for at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours. Prepare your smoker. Refer to your manufacturer's instructions. Once the coals in the starter are all glowing, spread them out in the bottom of the smoker, and add the wet hardwood chunks or chips. You want to maintain about 225 degrees.
- Mix up the dry rub. Combine the mole spice blend with kosher salt. Rub the spices all over the pork on all sides.
- Place on the prepared grill/smoker. Maintain temperature at about 225 degrees throughout the smoking process. Cook until internal temperature reaches 140 to 145 degrees. Remove from the grill.
- When the pork is cool enough to handle, cut it in chunks. Add the pork chunks, citrus juices and the remaining flesh and rind, spices and bay leaves, and chicken broth/stock to the pot. Instant Pot - 45 minutes under high pressure, and stove top - 1 ½ hours +/- until fork tender.
- Remove citrus pieces, spices, and bay leaves from the pork and braising liquid. Shred the pork.
- Prepare the tacos. Add shredded pork to warm tortillas, followed by fresh toppings as desired. Enjoy!
Notes
* You may wish to place the spices in cheesecloth or a mesh bag to make fishing them out easier.
I do not add additional salt to the cooking liquid as the pork is well-salted for smoking. Taste before adding salt.
I like to keep the recipe card pretty "clean," but you'll find more detailed information on ingredients, substitutions, and instructions in the body of the post.
If you don't want to make an entire batch of mole spice blend, simply mix 1 tablespoon each of cumin and unsweetened cocoa, and 1 ½ teaspoons each of cinnamon and red chile powder (ancho, guajillo, or New Mexico red).
NOTE: Macronutrients are an approximation only from MyFitnessPal.com, and based on 3 corn tortillas, ½ small avocado, 4 ½ tablespoons mango salsa, 2 teaspoons crumbled cotija, and ¼ cup shredded cabbage per serving. Yours will vary.
Nutrition
Calories: 491kcalCarbohydrates: 47gProtein: 31gFat: 23g
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