
Food52 - Pork Cheek Tacos With Avocado Tomatillo Salsa & Pico De Gallo From Chef Arturo Quesada Recipe on Food52
October 6, 2022
To learn more about how Chef Arturo Quesada makes tacos at Encanto Restaurant & Bar, listen to the podcast: Play me a recipe - Food52.
Ingredients send grocery list
- Avocado Tomatillo Salsa
- 1/2 large ripe California Avocado, halved, pitted, and peeled
- 2 tomatillos, peeled
- 2 green onions, trimmed
- 1 serrano pepper, de-stemmed
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about ½ lime)
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- Pico de Gallo
- 1 pint pint fresh Roma tomatoes (about 6), medium diced
- 1 fresh jalapeño pepper, small diced
- 1 small red onion, small diced
- 1 lime, freshly squeezed
- 1/4 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
- 2 kosher salt, plus more to taste
- Tacos
- 2 pounds Pork Cheek or Pork Shoulder
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon dried fennel seed
- 1/2 teaspoon bay leaf powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled
- 2 chiles moritas
- 1 pint chicken stock
- Corn tortillas
Directions
- Make the avocado tomatillo salsa: Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend on medium-high until thoroughly combined into a thick salsa. Transfer to a bowl.
- Make the pico de gallo: Toss all ingredients together in a bowl. Taste, then season as desired.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet until hot. Add the onions and cook 7 to 8 minutes stirring occasionally, until golden brown. Turn off the heat and transfer to a bowl.
- Season the pork with salt, fennel, bay leaf powder, and coriander. Using the same pan, heat the remaining olive oil until shimmering. Sear the pork, turning occasionally, 5 to 7 minutes, or until browned on all sides.
- In a blender, blend chiles, chicken stock, and garlic cloves together. Transfer the mixture to a large pot; add the caramelized onions and seared pork. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and let simmer, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 hours, or until the liquid is slightly reduced and the pork is tender and slightly falling apart.
- Top your corn tortillas with the pork and caramelized onions, avocado-tomatillo salsa, pico de gallo, and (optional) pickled red onions.
Article by Food52
https://food52.com/recipes/88434-encanto-pork-cheek-tacos