Smoked Beer-Braised Pork Shoulder Tacos

(from castro15’s recipe box)

Categories: Mexican

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp. light brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp. smoked paprika
  • 2 tsp coarse sea salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp ground red pepper
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds
  • 4 lb. bone-in pork shoulder (Boston butt), fat trimmed to 1/4 inch
  • 12 oz. bottle smoked beer
  • 24 (6-inch) corn tortillas, warmed
  • 3 ripe avocados, quartered
  • 4 limes, cut into wedges

Directions

  1. Stir together first 6 ingredients; rub over all sides of pork shoulder. Wrap tightly in foil, and chill 1 hour or up to overnight.

  2. Preheat oven to 450. Unwrap pork; discard foil. Place pork shoulder, fat side up, in a large Dutch oven, and cook, uncovered, at 450 until lightly browned, about 45 minutes. Pour beer over pork shoulder; reduce temp to 300, and cover with lid. Cook pork at 300, basting occasionally, until a thermometer registers 196 and meat pulls easily from bone, about 2 hours.

  3. Remove pork from oven, and transfer to a plate. Remove and discard bone. Transfer cooking liquid to a 2-cup glass measuring cup. Let stand 10 minutes.

  4. Meanwhile, shred pork using 2 forks. Skim fat from cooking liquid. Return pork and cooking liquid to Dutch oven, and stir to combine. Serve with tortillas, avocados, and limes, or cover with lid to keep warm up to 1 hour.

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