4.02.2010

Chipotle Pulled Pork Tacos

This delicious pork tenderloin cooked for seven long hours in the company of chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, sauteed onions and garlic, and a small, yet cheerful array of traditional Mexican spices. And like with many things that are not rushed, the outcome was outstanding. I love slow cooking because the house smells amazing all day, and the anticipation of the evening's meal builds and builds. It allows me to prolong the enjoyment of preparing a dish and celebrate it's various stages of development. First, the joy of choosing and assembling the ingredients. Then the aroma of the flavors coming together at their own pace with the great luxury of time. And finally, the promised moment of tasting that first bite, in hopes that it will be as good as the expectation my senses have shaped. And in this case, it was.

                    1-1 1/2 pound(s) pork tenderloin
                    1 tablespoon canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced
                    1 tablespoon adobo sauce
                    2-3 tablespoons olive oil
                    1 small to medium onion, chopped
                    2 garlic cloves, sliced
                    2 teaspoons cumin
                    2 teaspoons dried oregano
                    2 bay leaves
                    1 cup fresh tomatoes, chopped (or canned)
                    2 cups chicken broth
                    1 teaspoon kosher salt

Saute the onions and garlic in the olive oil over medium heat in a dutch oven or skillet until the onion is translucent. If using a skillet, transfer the onions and garlic to a slow cooker.

Add the tomatoes, broth, chipotle, adobo sauce, salt, spices, and pork to the onion mixture and cook for at least 6 hours.

Gently pull apart the pork before serving - it should come apart with little effort.

Serve with corn tortillas, cilantro, and lime. Also good over polenta or rice, or in a sandwich with a soft bun. Even better the next day.
                   
Makes 4-6 servings.

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