My hubby-to-be and I were having a couple friends over for dinner this week, and wanted to have something fun to eat that was communal, and also hearty for the winter months. In the end, we settled on pulled pork tacos. What’s better than sitting together, assembling our own tacos? (Okay, possibly a fondue or Chinese hot pot, but that’s for next time.)

The most labour-intensive part of this recipe is the pork, which I’d recommend making the night before you want to eat it. The longer you cook it, the softer and tastier the pork becomes. What’s great about this recipe is that it practically makes itself. All you need is a slow cooker or a thermal cooker. I use a thermal cooker for all my slow cooking and soups, which is probably one of my most highly recommended (and well-used) kitchen items I have. It keeps the heat, and cooks without requiring electricity or monitoring. More on the thermal cooker in a future post.

Ingredients: (serves 6-8)

• 1 large onion, peeled and chopped coarsely into eighths
• 6 cloves of garlic, smashed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup of chicken stock
• 1/2 can of crushed tomatoes (which usually come in a large can)
• 1 (3 pound) boneless pork butt, cut into large 4-inch chunks
• 1 teaspoon chipotle chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon of maple syrup
• 1 orange, halved and juiced
• 1 lime, halved and juiced
• 1 package of soft shelled tacos

Garnish:

• 1/2 sweet onion, peeled, chopped into strips
• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, to taste
• 1/4 ground pepper, to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon, cayenne pepper
• 1 cup of chopped cilantro
• 2 cups of finely chopped tomatoes
• 1-1/2 cup of grated cheese of your choice (we love mozzarella or gruyère)
• Sour cream
• Guacamole (optional)

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