Barbeque Pork Butt Tacos
By Tom Douglas
Barbeque Pork Butt Tacos
By Tom Douglas
Yield/Serves:
Makes 6 servings
- Spice Rub: or substitute Tom Douglas Pork Rub »
- 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons cumin seed, toasted and ground
- 2 teaspoons coriander seed, toasted and ground
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ancho chile powder
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, or more to taste
- Barbeque pork:
- 3 pounds pork butt (either bone in or bone out)
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup apple cider
- 1 orange, sliced
- 1 onion, sliced
- To serve:
- 12 corn tortillas
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- Pico de Gallo
Fire up a covered grill for indirect heat.
To make the spice rub, combine all the spice ingredients in a bowl. Or, to save time, you can substitute Tom Douglas Pork Rub (click here).
Rub the pork butt with the spice mixture. Grill the pork butt over indirect heat, with the grill covered and the vents fully open. To help keep the meat moist, fill a small metal pan with the water, apple cider, orange and onion and place it under the meat to catch drippings and provide mositure. If your grill has a thermometer, keep the temperature of the grill at about 350°F. Barbeque the pork slowly, turning it occasionally and adding coals as necessary, for about 2½ to 3 hours, until the meat is very tender and shreds easily with a fork.
Remove the pork from the grill and wrap it in foil. Allow the meat to rest for at least 10 minutes, then slice it across the grain, pulling off and discarding any large chunks of fat. Using a large knife or Chinese cleaver, chop the sliced meat into ½-inch chunks.
While the meat is resting, you can fry the tortillas. Heat the oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Fry the tortillas until crispy, about a minute per side.
To serve, set out the crispy tortillas, a platter of chopped pork, and a bowl of Pico de Gallo, allowing everyone to make their own tacos. If you like, you could also set out bowls of sour cream, diced avocados, chopped lettuce, cooked pinto or black beans, and grated pepperjack cheese.
Note: this pork is great cooked on indirect heat in a covered grill, but you can also roast it in the oven. Place the spice-rubbed pork butt on a rack in a baking dish and roast it in the over at 350°F for 2½ to 3 hours.
To make the spice rub, combine all the spice ingredients in a bowl. Or, to save time, you can substitute Tom Douglas Pork Rub (click here).
Rub the pork butt with the spice mixture. Grill the pork butt over indirect heat, with the grill covered and the vents fully open. To help keep the meat moist, fill a small metal pan with the water, apple cider, orange and onion and place it under the meat to catch drippings and provide mositure. If your grill has a thermometer, keep the temperature of the grill at about 350°F. Barbeque the pork slowly, turning it occasionally and adding coals as necessary, for about 2½ to 3 hours, until the meat is very tender and shreds easily with a fork.
Remove the pork from the grill and wrap it in foil. Allow the meat to rest for at least 10 minutes, then slice it across the grain, pulling off and discarding any large chunks of fat. Using a large knife or Chinese cleaver, chop the sliced meat into ½-inch chunks.
While the meat is resting, you can fry the tortillas. Heat the oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Fry the tortillas until crispy, about a minute per side.
To serve, set out the crispy tortillas, a platter of chopped pork, and a bowl of Pico de Gallo, allowing everyone to make their own tacos. If you like, you could also set out bowls of sour cream, diced avocados, chopped lettuce, cooked pinto or black beans, and grated pepperjack cheese.
Note: this pork is great cooked on indirect heat in a covered grill, but you can also roast it in the oven. Place the spice-rubbed pork butt on a rack in a baking dish and roast it in the over at 350°F for 2½ to 3 hours.