Slow Cooker Pork Tacos

Ingredients

• 3 whole dried ancho chiles
• 3 whole dried pasilla chiles
• 4 cloves garlic, unpeeled
• 2 – 3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, from a can
• 1/2 large yellow onion, quartered
• 3 Tbsp olive oil, divided
• 2 Tbsp honey
• 1 Tbsp cider vinegar
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cans low-sodium chicken broth
• 4 – 5 lbs boneless pork shoulder roast
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• Warmed corn tortillas, thinly sliced red cabbage, thinly sliced red onions, crumbled queso fresco or shredded monterey jack cheese, diced avocados, lemon wedges, cilantro leaves, sour cream

Directions

1. Put the ancho and pasilla chiles in a microwave-safe medium mixing bowl with the unpeeled garlic. Drizzle 3 Tbsp water over the chiles, then microwave on high power for 2 – 3 minutes, until the chiles have softened and bend easily. While that’s happening, add the chipotle peppers, yellow onion, 2 Tbsp olive oil, honey, cider vinegar, oregano, and 2 tsp salt to a food processor. Take the chiles out of the microwave, pull off the stems, shake out the seeds, and add them to the processor. Slip the garlic out of its skins and add that too. Pulse until the mixture becomes a smooth puree.
2. Warm the remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Scrape the sauce into the skillet with a spatula, getting every bit you can, and cook it until it smells deep and looks thick, about 7 – 8 minutes. It should remind you of a dense tomato paste. Add the broth, let it come to a boil, then lower the heat a bit and simmer until the sauce has thickened slightly, about 15 minutes. If you want to get ahead, this sauce can be made the night before and kept in the fridge for an easier morning.
3. Cut away any large fatty pieces from the pork roast, then divide the pork into chunks, about 6 – 8. Sprinkle the pork all over with salt and pepper, using a light hand with the salt because the sauce already has plenty and you can always add more later. Set the pork in the slow cooker, pour the sauce evenly over the top, and tuck the bay leaves and cinnamon stick down into the sauce. Cover and cook on high for 5 hours, or until the pork is tender.
4. Lift out and discard the bay leaves and cinnamon stick. Take the pork out, leaving the broth in the slow cooker, then shred the meat and pull away any fat as you go. Skim off as much fat as you can from the surface of the broth, then add the shredded pork back into the sauce. Taste and add more salt if you’d like, then cover and cook for 30 minutes on warm or low so the pork can soak up the sauce.
5. Serve warm over tortillas with toppings listed.