Pork Barbacoa in the Slow Cooker

After making Beef Barbacoa I wondered what it would be like to try the recipe with pork. Most of the recipes I found referred to Sweet Barbacoa Pork. Some used cola as the sweetening ingredient, others used brown sugar. I opted for brown sugar and adding cider vinegar for that hot, sweet, and sour zing.

Ingredients

• 2-3 lbs pork shoulder roast

Barbacoa chili sauce

• 3-4 chipotle peppers in adobe sauce
• 1/4 cup beef or vegetable stock (I used veg)
• 6 cloves garlic
• 1 Tbsp oregano (I only had Greek)
• 1 Tbsp and 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp cloves

For the slow cooker

• 2 small onions, peeled and cut in rounds for a rack
• 1 cup shredded carrot (optional)
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 1/4 brown sugar
• 3 Bay leaves
• 1/4 cup water

• 1/4 fresh lime juice (juice of 2-3 limes)

Method

1. To make the Barbacoa chili sauce put all the ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth.
2. Put the onions into the slow cooker, top with the shredded carrot and the pork shoulder.
3. Add 1/4-1/2 cup of the Barbacoa chili sauce to a small mixing bowl. Whisk in the cider vinegar and the brown sugar until smooth. Pour this over the pork.
4. Add the Bay leaves.
5. Add 1/4 of water around the bottom of the roast.
6. Put the lid on and the slow cooker and cook on low for 8-10 hours.
7. Remove pork from slow cooker (leave broth in) and shred. Stir the lime juice into broth then return pork to slow cooker and cook on low for another 20 – 30 minutes.
8. Remove the pork from the liquid with tongs and put in a cast iron pan or rimmed baking sheet, spread the meat out into a 1/2 inch layer. Broil on high for 5 minutes (watch so it doesn’t burn). Pile it into a bowl so people can build their own tacos or burritos.
9. serve with tortillas and whatever toppings you like. I served mine with Spelt Tortillas.

Makes enough to serve 8-10 people.