Hawaiian Pulled Pork Tacos with Pineapple Salsa

These simple and tender pulled pork tacos with pineapple salsa are inspired by our trip to Honolulu a few years ago, with a fusion to my love of making homemade Tex Mex! At a pre-luau party we attended at the Hale Koa on O'ahu, we got the incredible experience of watching the Polynesians make Kalua Pua'a, or Kalua Pig, wrapping the pork ceremonially in banana leaves, and placing the whole thing into a large pit with an underground oven. The foodie in me was in awe. Capturing some of that sweet, Hawaiian pineapple flavor in the braising liquid, I opted to use the oven instead of digging a pit in the backyard so it's not quite the same experience, but it still comes out delicious every time. Whether you serve the shredded pork in tacos as the recipe is shared here, on a sweet Hawaiian roll as a sandwich or by itself topped with my fresh pineapple salsa, you won't be disappointed!

INGREDIENTS

Pork

• 8 Lb. Bone-In Pork Shoulder
• 4 C. Chicken Bone Broth or Chicken Stock
• 10 Cloves Garlic, Peeled
• 1 Fresh Pineapple
• 8 oz. Pineapple Juice
• 2 Jalapeños
• 2 Tbsp. Garlic Powder
• 2 Tbsp. Kosher Salt
• 1 Tbsp. Ground Black Pepper
• 1 Tbsp. Chili Powder
• 1 Tbsp. Cumin
• 1 Tbsp. Paprika
• 2-3 Tbsp. Olive Oil for the pan

Pineapple Salsa

• 1 Med. Pineapple, Peeled and Finely Chopped
• ½ Each Red Bell Pepper, Finely Chopped
• 1 Jalapeño, Seeded and Finely Chopped
• ¼ C. Red Onion, Finely Diced
• 5 Sprigs Cilantro, Finely Chopped
• 1 Each Lime, Zest and Juice
• 1 tsp. Kosher Salt
• ½ tsp. Ground Black Pepper

Tortillas, for serving

INSTRUCTIONS

Preparing the Pork Shoulder

Step 1: Gather the ingredients for your pulled pork, and pre-heat the oven to 275℉.

Step 2: On a cutting board designated for meat, trim the excess fat from the bottom side of your pork shoulder. You just want to remove the thicker layers, not the marbling.

Step 3: Measure out your spices, then rub the pork generously, covering all sides with the seasoning blend.

Step 4: In a large Dutch oven over medium high heat, add 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil. Once the pan and the oil are hot, carefully add the pork and sear on all sides (front, back, ends, sides) for about 8 minutes per side.

Note: If you have a pair of meat claws, this is helpful here to rotate the pork. If not, you can use a pair of tongs, or two forks).

Step 5: In the meantime, prepare the pineapple and jalapeño.

On a produce-designated cutting board (not the one used to trim the pork), cut the crown and the bottom of the pineapple- this will create a stable surface for which to cut up the pineapple. Using a Chef Knife, trim the outer skin of the pineapple as closely to the edge as you can without cutting away too much of the fruit. From here, cut the pineapple in half vertically, and again, so that you have 4 tall sections. With the pineapple slice cut-side down against the board, cut away the inner core (discard). Slice the remaining length of pineapple into 2 or 3 strips and then chop up each piece into small wedges.

Slice the jalapeños into rings, keeping the seeds.

Step 6: Once the pork has been seared on all sides, remove from the pot and set aside. Scrape up the browned bits in the bottom of the pot using a wooden spoon, then deglaze the pan by adding chicken bone broth then bringing to a light simmer. Don't discard those dark bits- that's where the flavor is! As my former boss and mentor Carla Hall always said, "there's flavor in the brown!"

Step 7: To the stock, add pineapple wedges, sliced jalapeño, the sprigs of cilantro, and the peeled garlic, and the pineapple juice.

Step 8: Carefully place the seared pork back into the pot, cover, and place in the preheated oven to braise for 4 hours.

Preparing the Pineapple Salsa

Step 1: Gather the ingredients for your pineapple salsa, along with a mixing bowl, zester, citrus reamer and a spoon.

Step 2: The pineapple will be cut into a very small dice, so following the instructions outlined above, cut thinner strips of pineapple after removing the core.

Step 3: Into a mixing bowl, add your diced pineapple, red onion, red peppers, seeded jalapeño, and cilantro. Add the zest of the lime, then cut the lime in half, squeezing in the juice.

Step 4: Season the fresh pineapple salsa with salt and pepper and stir all of the ingredients together well. Cover the bowl and allow the flavors to marinate for about 4 hours.

Shredding the Pork

Once the pork is done, remove the Dutch oven and allow it to cool on the counter slightly, for about 15 minutes or so. Remove the pork from the braising liquid and place it into a large, 13x9 glass baking dish. Using a pair of forks (or meat shredding claws) shred the pork. You may wish to ladle a little of the braising liquid (just the liquid) over the meat to keep it moist, but the remainder of the braising liquid may be discarded*

Serve the pulled pork in your favorite flour tortillas topped with fresh pineapple salsa!

*Note: If you're planning for leftovers, strain the braising liquid, keeping just the liquid, and add some to your plastic storage bags.

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