Let's Talk BBQ

Recipes => Recipes => Pork Recipes => Topic started by: teesquare on January 28, 2012, 10:43:12 AM

Title: Latino-Caribbean pulled pork and fruit salsa tacos
Post by: teesquare on January 28, 2012, 10:43:12 AM
I have been in this nostalgic/melancholy funk lately....Missing food that I had many years ago - and loved. So I had to grease up the memory gears, and have a go at it....

First - we need the meat:  I wanted to re-create the flavors I remember from my time in Central America....
I went to a Latino Mercado - and found a Costa Rican sauce/marinade that has all of the celery seed, garlic, onion and lots of other veggies ( even cauliflower!) and molasses flavors that are really a hallmark of the Costa Rican roasted chicken I loved. But, as I wanted to inject - and long marinade this meat - I did not want the vinegar and salt in the marinade to predominate the rest of the flavors...so I mixed it with orange juice at a 50/50 rate.

(http://i428.photobucket.com/albums/qq1/teesquare1/COOKING/DSCF0912.jpg)

 Injected it all over, and poured the rest in the vacuum bag, removed air, sealed it - and put it in the fridge for 2 days.

 This was a 6 lb boston butt - it went into the Smokin' Tex. It was lightly smoked with a very small amount of northern Birch, and cherry wood. Again - I was not craving "BBQ" - but trying to re-create a memory of a traditional simple country food from another country.
So - I pulled it @200F - FTC'ed it for an hour then pulled it.

(http://i428.photobucket.com/albums/qq1/teesquare1/COOKING/DSCF0899.jpg)

Now - I got busy making the fruit salsa:

1- medium sized ripe mango - peeled and diced about a cup
1- cup of (preferably fresh) pineapple chopped into small pieces
2 Kiwis- peeled and chopped up
1/2 bunch of Cilantro - stemmed and chopped
1/2 medium red sweet onion
1 - healthy squeeze of Lime ( or Lemon if you prefer)
2- 3 pinches of salt
1 - generous dash ( maybe 2 if you are inclined) of crushed red pepper flake
Toss it to mix ingredients

Now - Put pulled pork on four tortillas - and spoon on the fruit salsa.


(http://i428.photobucket.com/albums/qq1/teesquare1/COOKING/DSCF0901.jpg)

I gotta tell you - this one is a keeper. It is simple, and the layer of flavors include all five groups. Sour, sweet, salty, bitter, and umami. A real Latin -Caribbean "comfort food"


T
Title: Re: Latino-Caribbean pulled pork and fruit salsa tacos
Post by: smokeasaurus on January 28, 2012, 11:52:24 AM
Good eats there T!!!!!!  Comfort food comes in many shapes and tastes........
Title: Re: Latino-Caribbean pulled pork and fruit salsa tacos
Post by: Phil LaMarche on January 28, 2012, 01:13:10 PM
That looks delicious.  I too mis the foods from Puerto Rico where I made electronic sales calls for years.  Every christmas I make the cuban style roast pork with lots of garlic and sour orange.  I am anxious to make the salsa.  Phil
Title: Re: Latino-Caribbean pulled pork and fruit salsa tacos
Post by: ACW3 on January 28, 2012, 05:04:01 PM
All right!!!  This is the pulled pork you told me about this morning.  Nice!  Pulled pork is sure a versatile food.  I may have to try this one.

Art
Title: Re: Latino-Caribbean pulled pork and fruit salsa tacos
Post by: teesquare on January 28, 2012, 05:19:45 PM
Thanks fellas!
It really did turn out well. It will be the main course for the Super Bowl party this year.
T
Title: Re: Latino-Caribbean pulled pork and fruit salsa tacos
Post by: Phil LaMarche on February 20, 2012, 11:13:26 AM
I made this entire dish and it turned out beautiful.  It is a keeper.  Now that I have the SRG, I'll be doing 3 slabs of ribs for my first cook.  Any suggestions.  I have the hooks.  Phil
Title: Re: Latino-Caribbean pulled pork and fruit salsa tacos
Post by: teesquare on February 20, 2012, 10:09:57 PM
I am flattered Phil! Thank you for trying it, and really glad you liked it as much as I did. I think that the extra effort to introduce some of the orange flavor into the pork paid off on this recipe. It helped re-inforce the tropical flavors that the fruit salsa added.

I must confess that I have not used my SRG ofr ribs....but maybe TMB will come along and see your request. Or - even better, how about starting a thread with your request for suggestions on the ribs in the SRG?
Will get more attention for sure!
T