slow roasted pork tacos with tequila, cilantro, and lime slaw

I took an epic fall this weekend...



You know, the kind that involves stairs and feels almost like it's happening in slow motion.



The kind where people crowd around asking if you are okay and all you want to do is burst into tears but for some reason an awkward laugh comes out instead.



The kind where you think you didn’t hurt yourself but then twenty minutes later when all the people and the adrenaline have worn off you realize you have a giant bruise on your tailbone.



yeah...



I still sort of can’t believe it. It just happened- out of nowhere- totally embarrassing. So glad it's over.



On the upside it seemed the perfect excuse to fill my face with homemade tacos.

If you don’t happen to live in a world where tequila is a common household item, you can leave it out. Or you can pick up one of  these awesome bottles. Either way you end up with a plate of fresh tacos for dinner. Win. Win.

I like to use corn tortillas but flour ones are nice too, or if you are feeling fancy you could  make your own. This recipe should supply enough for about 12-15 tacos so it’ll give you a perfect opportunity to utilize the rest of that tequila bottle and invite some friends over!

To make the slow roasted pork:

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and set aside. Rub the liquid smoke and the sea salt into the pork shoulder. You should have enough salt to cover the meat so feel free to add more if the 1/2 tablespoon isn’t doing the trick. Wrap the pork with aluminum foil, place on center of prepared baking sheet, and roast in the oven for 3-4 hours or until it reaches an internal temperature of 170 degress F.

When the pork shoulder is cooked fully, remove it from the oven and loosen the foil. Once the meat reaches a temperature where you can safely handle it, remove the foil and begin breaking the meat into bite-sized pieces. It should pull apart into shredded strips quite easily.

To make the slaw:

Trim both of the cabbages, removing any tough outer leaves, and slice into very thin strips using a mandolin or sharp knife. Clean and trim radishes, then slice each into thin matchstick-like pieces. Remove stems and seeds from the poblano and jalapeno peppers. Roughly chop peppers and add to a bowl along with the cabbage and radish. Stir to combine.

In a separate bowl, add the lime juice, cilantro, and tequila and stir to combine well. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until it is fully incorporated. Add salt/pepper to taste and then pour entire mixture into the bowl with your vegetables. Stir until vegetables are well coated.

To prepare the tacos:

I like to toast my tortillas just before serving by placing them in an ungreased fry pan, warmed on medium heat, for about 30 seconds on each side. I would imagine that blitzing them in the microwave or parking them in a low-heat oven for a few minutes would work as well.

When tortillas are sufficiently warmed, add some pork and top with the slaw. Garnish with extra radish slices and cilantro if desired.

Slaw recipe adapted from The New York Times