Pork Tacos with Pineapple Salsa

Pork & pineapple. Cookies & cream. Lennon & McCartney.

Pork & pineapple is perhaps the most polarising of the duos (Hawaiian pizza, anyone?) but it’s delicious when it’s done well. Here ‘pork carnitas’ is cooked in chipotle. It handles the sweetness of a fruit salsa and the kick of a zesty mojo verde. On a soft corn tortilla, it’s an easy summer dinner that will leave you with an abundance of leftovers and minimal washing up.

The recipe below makes tacos for four people, but you’ll have leftovers, or enough if people are still hungry and want to go back for more. There’s a fair chance they will: the crisp pork carnitas, the piquant herby sauce, the sweetness of the pineapple .…

Pork Carnitas:

1 x large pork shoulder (2-2.5kg, preferably bone in, but boneless will do)
1 x juice of one large orange
2 x cloves of garlic
1 x bayleaf 

Rub the pork shoulder with a teaspoon each of cumin, oregano and smoked paprika. Slow cook for 7-8 hours on low, until the meat is falling off the bone / is breaking away.

Tortillas:

• 1 pack of soft corn tortillas; preferably from a Mexican grocer. If not, ‘Old El Paso’ actually do a good soft corn tortilla, available at Woolworths. ‘White Corn Market Street Tortillas’ 

Mojo Verde:

• 1 medium jalapeno chilli
• 1 tablespoon of sherry vinegar
• 1 large handful of coriander leaves, stems
• 1 large handful of parsley leaves, stems
• 1 large handful of rocket
• 1 teaspoon garlic, crushed
• 1 lime, juiced 

• A couple of tablespoons of olive oil, and then some on top if storing to help preserve the sauce. 

Pineapple salsa:

• 1 sweet pineapple, skin removed, core removed, diced into small cubes 

• Small handful of coriander, finely chopped

• Small handful of mint, finely chopped 

• ½ red onion, finely diced 

• ½ lime, juiced

Method:

For the pork carnitas, add the pork shoulder and the other ingredients to the slow cooker. Start on ‘high’ and then reduce to ‘low’, cooking for at least 7 hours.

You can use the pork straight from the slow cooker, or you can add it to a container and put into the fridge to reheat later.
For the pineapple salsa, remove the skin and core, and dice into small cubes. Finely dice your onion. Add the mint, coriander and squeeze in the lime juice. Add a touch of salt and pepper, and stir to combine. This can be kept in the fridge for a day, maybe even two, before you serve. Just watch the ripeness of the pineapple; you might also want to freshen it up with new herbs. 

For the mojo verde, add all of the ingredients to a blender and pulse until smooth. I don’t mind mine having some chunkiness, but how it looks is up to you. When storing the mojo verde, add olive oil to the top to help preserve the sauce.

When it’s time to make the tacos, warm your corn tortillas. On medium heat, they’ll only need about 10 seconds on each side. Place in a clean towel, close up, and they’ll stay warm while you do the rest.

In a skillet, on medium heat, add the pulled pork and some of the stock from the slow cooker. I also like to add some ground cumin and chilli. Fry in the pan until the pork turns golden (a couple of minutes).

Next, top tortillas with pork carnitas from the pan. Sprinkle over the pineapple salsa, and spoon on some mojo verde. Serve with lime wedges and finely chopped coriander. 

Wine match?

Well, it’s hard to go wrong with a beer. I’d probably go for a crisp lager; something that doesn’t really cling to your palate.

If it’s hot, and there’s a bottle of wine, I’d go for something tropical. A good local Australian Sauvignon Blanc, Vermentino or Arinto. Below are some great wines (with good bang for your buck)

Logan, ‘Weemala’ Sauvignon Blanc 2023 — fruity nose, jasmine, white peach, with lemon, lime and grapefruit on the palate. A really lovely example of the variety. Far better than most of the cat-piss NZ imports. RRP $22

Manners, ‘Vermentino’ 2023 — in the glass, you’ll smell freshly cut pineapple and passionfruit. The fruitiness really goes well the salsa in this dish, and it’s dry and acidic enough on the palate to cut through the richness of the pork. RRP $28

The Other Wine Co. Arinto 2023 — here’s a Portugeuse grape that grows well in the Riverland. Saline, seaspray, some texture from skin contact. Enough lemon acid to pair with the tacos, and a delicious drink with a great story. RRP $27