Monday, September 13, 2010

An Ode to The Shredded Pork Taco...

Shredded Pork Tacos

It was a tiny little place...
so small -you'd walk right by.
We did just that for two full years...
till something caught my eye.

It wasn't fancy, it wasn't bright...
it was a modest yellow sign.
Two Tacos - $5...
please come on in and dine!

I looked over my shoulder...
was the sign talking to me?
It was as if it was calling my name...

We had no dinner plans...
were low on funds...
but what if the tacos are lame?!

I walked inside, was engulfed in red...
a pinata hung in the corner.
I was approached by a man wearing a sombrero...
"Ms. may I please take your order?"
I'll have two of the specials...
the one from the sign...
1 chicken, 2 pork, 1 steak.


The man disappeared into the kitchen...
I hope this was not a mistake!
So I sat down and waited, I people watched...
the patrons were having a ball!
Mariachi music played in the back...
Bill Clinton hung on the wall.

He was eating a taco...
enjoying himself...
he must have stopped in here to eat?

If a President liked them...
maybe they're great...!
maybe we're in for a treat!

A few minutes later the man reappeared...
and handed me over our meal.
I gave him cash, then scurried away...
by the size of these things, what a steal!

You'll be happy to hear our food was amazing...
the pork tacos stealing the show!
I felt silly for going as long as we did...
completely out of the know!

Then came the day it was time to leave...
the city we loved so much.
We packed up our things, said our goodbyes...
but that taco - I needed to touch!
Yes, one last time, I had to have...
that pork I came to adore...
to bid it farewell, and take one to go...
and to touch that sign on the door.

They say it is better to have loved and lost...
than to have never loved at all...
but I'm pretty sure Lord Tennyson missed...
that taco sign on the wall.

***The End***
These Shredded Pork Tacos a' la Martha Stewart (though much more visually refined than those we ate in New York) come damn close to matching that pork taco flavor we miss so much! While we followed the recipe exactly (slow cooking it on the stove) other reviews say it makes an AMAZING crock pot dish!

We serve it atop two warm corn tortillas, with cilantro, chopped onion, queso fresco and radish. Unbelievably fresh, authentic tasting and delicious... this super affordable, versatile dish is sure to impress your family and friends. Thanks Martha!
Shredded Pork Tacos
MarthaStewart.com

INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
2 bay leaves
Coarse salt and ground pepper
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 (3-pound) boneless pork shoulder, cut in half lengthwise
1 can (28 ounces) whole tomatoes in juice
1 large chipotle chile in adobo sauce (from a small can), minced (about 4 teaspoons)
16 (6-inch) toasted corn tortillas
1 cup crumbled queso fresco, feta, or goat cheese
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
Crunchy Slaw with Radishes, optional

Directions
1.In a large (5-quart) heavy pot, heat oil over medium. Add onion, garlic, thyme, oregano, and bay leaves; season with salt and pepper. Cook until onion has softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste. Add pork, tomatoes (breaking them up) and their juice, chipotle, and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until meat is very tender, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Discard bay leaves.

2.Using tongs, transfer meat to a large bowl; shred with two forks, discarding any large pieces of fat or gristle. Return meat to pan, and simmer until sauce is thick, 30 to 45 minutes more. Season, if necessary, with salt and pepper. Proceed to next step, or cover and refrigerate, up to 1 day.

3.Spoon pork and sauce into toasted tortillas, using 2 tortillas for each serving; top with queso fresco and cilantro. Serve with Crunchy Slaw with Radishes, if desired.

10 comments:

Katerina said...

Apart from the beautiful ode and the yummy dish you present in this post, you give a valuable lesson to all. Most of the times we search to big fancy things in order to give us happiness and satisfaction and forget to just turn around and see that real beauty can be found in small humble things just in front of us.

The Food Hound said...

I've always wanted a good recipe for shredded meat taco filling-- doing ground beef gets kind of old after a while. Looks like this is it! Love the poem :)

Mary Bergfeld said...

It is wonderful to find food that you enjoy that much. This is the first ode to a taco that I've ever read :-). I hope you are having a great day. Blessings...Mary

chow and chatter said...

oh wow looks amazing and that place sound so cool thanks for traveling with me Rebecca

Reeni said...

I love your ode! A similar thing happened to me too with an old shack next to a gas station - serving the most delicious Italian food. The tacos look fantastic - great recreation!

laurie said...

That was fun to read! This looks amazing. I think we would love this recipe.

Joanne said...

This is possibly the cutest post I read all day! I loved the ode. And what a thing to write one to! The meat in those tacos looks perfect!

Sam Hoffer / My Carolina Kitchen said...

How cool that you were able to duplicate your favorite restaurant taco - with a Martha Stewart recipe no less! Great read - felt as if I was reading a poem.
Sam

Erin said...

This looks like a great recipe for a tailgate too! YUM!

Joshua said...

Taco poems. Two great things that surprisingly go great together.