A medium pork shoulder transformed into a deeply aromatic tray of saucy pulled pork is one of life’s great pleasures.
These pulled pork tacos are a great way to entertain – serve smaller ones as canapés or starters, or larger ones as main meals. Serve with a chilled bottle of Spier MCC Brut. Serves six.
Pulled pork tacos with green apple & avocado salsa paired with Spier Cap Classique Brut
For the pulled pork, you’ll need:
1kg boneless pork shoulder (or about 1,3kg on the bone); 1 x 340ml lager beer; 3 tsp brown sugar; 2 tsp ground paprika (not smoked); 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp dried origanum; 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar; 1/4 cup tomato sauce; 1/2 cup good quality BBQ sauce; 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard; 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce; salt & pepper to taste
To make: Preheat the oven to 160 °C. Place the pork in a deep cast iron pot or roasting tray that will fit it relatively snugly (it will shrink a little). In a large mixing jug, add the beer, sugar, paprika, cumin, origanum, vinegar, ketchup, BBQ sauce, mustard, Worcester sauce and a generous seasoning of salt & pepper. Mix well, then pour over the pork. Cover with a lid, then roast for 3 hours or until very tender. Remove from the oven, then use 2 forks to pull apart. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Set aside, covered, until ready to serve.
For the salsa, you’ll need: 1 or 2 (depending on size) Granny Smith green apples, finely diced; 1 small red onion, finely chopped; 1 or 2 large ripe avocados, skin & pit removed, diced; a generous squeeze of fresh lemon juice; a handful fresh coriander leaves, roughly chopped; salt & black pepper, to taste
To make: Mix everything together in a medium bowl and serve at once, with the pulled pork & mayonnaise on tacos.
For serving you’ll need: 6-12 medium size hard or soft tacos (corn or flour); good quality mayonnaise; fresh coriander leaves; lemon wedges
To make: Arrange some mayo, salsa and pulled pork on each taco, then sprinkle with fresh coriander and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Serve at once.
About the wine: Spier MCC Brut … a vibrant light straw colour, the wine’s fresh, clean nose offers apples and biscuits, with a balanced mouthfeel and exuberant bubbles.
Complied by: KYM ARGO Recipes and images: SA Avocado Growers’ Associaltion, and Spier Wine
