Dutch Oven Pork Tacos with Hoisin and Ginger

Hello, welcome to Sunday Supper on Djalali Cooks. It’s definitely getting to be pot roast season. I saw this recipe on New York Times Cooking and they do it in a slow cooker. But I wanted to give it a go in my Dutch Oven; a 5 hour cook, rather than 7-8 hours in the slow cooker. We are doing tacos with this pork shoulder, but I think it would be great with rice noodles instead of tortillas, if you wanted to go that route. Let’s get right to it – Dutch Oven Pork Tacos with Hoisin and Ginger!

You might have guessed from the recipe title that this pork shoulder pot roast has Asian flavors – with the hoisin and ginger. And you’d be right; these are Vietnamese-style tacos, with a cabbage slaw to top, cilantro and Sriracha sauce. Let’s start with the braise. But first, preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

The Braise

Heat the Dutch oven on the stovetop over medium heat for about 1 minute. Drizzle in the sesame oil and then add the diced onion. Stirring occasionally, sauté the onions until they begin to go translucent. Then add the garlic, stir to incorporate the garlic in the onion and cook for about 30 seconds. Turn off the heat and stir in the grated ginger. Add the hoisin sauce and the fish sauce. Stir to combine, then pour in 1 cup of water to loosen the sauce. Stir in the tablespoon of Sriracha sauce.

Transfer most of the braising liquid to a large measuring cup – either by ladling it out, or pouring it from the Dutch oven. Leave enough liquid in the Dutch oven to cover the bottom.

Place the 5-pound, bone-in pork shoulder, fat cap side down into the Dutch oven, on top of the sauce left in the pot. Then pour the remaining sauce over the pork butt.

Cover the pot and place it in the oven. Set a timer for 5 hours. Set a second timer for 2 hours. This will be when we will begin the hourly basting.

Basting

At the end of two hours, remove the pot from the oven and baste the roast with the braising liquid. Cover and return the roast to the oven and set the timer for another hour. Repeat the basting at the third and fourth hours.

Cabbage Slaw

After you’ve done the hour-four baste, make the slaw. Slice the small cabbage in half, core it, then thinly slice each half of the cabbage. Then slice the the thin strips in half.

I have one long English cucumber. Cut the cucumber into four pieces. Slice each piece in half lengthwise, and in half lengthwise again. Slice into planks. We are just looking to mimic the size and shape of the cabbage slices. Core and slice 1 Asian pear into thin planks. Transfer the cut veggies to a large mixing bowl and add a handful of shredded carrots.

In a separate, small bowl, whisk together sesame oil, neutral-tasting oil (like grapeseed), grated ginger, rice vinegar and a little Sriracha sauce. Whisk until you have an emulsified dressing.

Pour the dressing over the veggies and mix everything together with your hands until everything is coated in dressing and well-mixed. Sprinkle with a pinch of Kosher salt and mix again.

Pull the Roast

At hour 5, pull the roast out of the oven and check for tenderness. Take either two forks, or one fork and a pair of kitchen tongs and pull at the thickest part of the meat. If it pulls apart with no resistance, it’s ready. If not, let it go back in the oven at 20 minute increments until it’s fall-apart tender. Pull the bone out and pull the roast apart in the Dutch oven.

When it’s good and shredded, stir the shredded pork in the braising sauce. Let the pork sit while you warm up some flour tortillas. I have small, street-style tortillas that are a combination of corn and flour, so they have corn tortilla flavor but they are thick and soft like a flour tortilla.

Build your Pork Tacos with Hoisin and Ginger

Chop up some cilantro to top your tacos. Then, use tongs to portion some of the pork onto the center of a warm tortilla.

The long, slow cook in the hoisin and ginger braising liquid results in a sweet and savory flavor. Every bite is packed with umami richness because we stirred the shredded pork in the braising liquid, which cooked down into a thick sauce. The fish sauce lends a little bit of its funky flavor and heightens the flavors of the whole dish. Squeeze some fresh lime juice on your taco and enjoy!

Thanks for joining me for today’s Pork Tacos with Hoisin and Ginger Sunday Supper! As I mentioned at the top, you don’t have to finish this pork shoulder roast as tacos, you can serve it with some rice, or on a bed of rice noodles. Its distinct Vietnamese flavors are the standout; and with the crunchy fresh textures of the slaw, this flavorful pulled pork could find its way into a bánh mì sandwich, or egg rolls. If you want more Vietnamese cooking inspiration, try my Vietnamese Grilled Pork Noodle Bowl. Take care and be well, everyone! xo Kelly

Key Equipment

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Dutch Oven Pork Tacos with Hoisin and Ginger

(2 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)

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Dinner, Main Course – Vietnamese-inspired

By Adapted from Sam Sifton, NY Times – Serves: 4-8

Prep Time: 15 Minutes – Cooking Time: 5 Hours – Total Time: 5 Hours, 15 Minutes

A Vietnamese-inspired slow cooked pork shoulder roast in a hoisin, fish sauce, ginger and sriracha braise. Served with a cabbage slaw.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp. Sesame Oil
• 1 medium Yellow Onion, diced
• 8 Cloves Garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp. grated Fresh Ginger (about a 2-inch piece)
• 1/2 cup Hoisin Sauce
• 1/4 cup Fish Sauce
• 1 tbsp. Sriracha Sauce
• 5 lb. Bone-in Pork Shoulder
• Flour Tortillas
• Lime Wedges
• Chopped Cilantro
• Cabbage Slaw
• 1/3 cup Rice Vinegar
• 2 tsp. Grated Fresh Ginger
• 1 tbsp. Sesame Oil
• 2 tbsp. Neutral Oil, like peanut or grapeseed
• 1 tsp. Sriracha Sauce, or to taste
• 1 small Green Cabbage, cored and sliced thinly
• 2 medium-size Cucumbers, sliced into thin planks
• 1 cup Shredded Carrots
• 1 Asian pear, peeled, cored and sliced into thin planks
• Pinch of Kosher Salt

Instructions

Pork Shoulder Roast

1

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

2

Heat the Dutch oven on the stovetop over medium heat for about 1 minute. Drizzle in the sesame oil and then add the diced onion. Stirring occasionally, sauté the onions until they begin to go translucent.

3

Then add the garlic, stir to incorporate the garlic in the onion and cook for about 30 seconds. Turn off the heat and stir in the grated ginger.

4

Add the hoisin sauce and the fish sauce. Stir to combine, then pour in 1 cup of water to loosen the sauce.

5

Stir in the tablespoon of Sriracha sauce.

6

Transfer 2/3 of the braising sauce to a large measuring cup. Place the pork shoulder, fat cap side down, into the remaining braising liquid.

7

Pour the reserved braising liquid over the roast, cover and place in the oven. Set a timer for 5 hours. Set a second timer for 2 hours.

8

At the two hour mark, pull the roast and baste it with the braising liquid, replace cover and return to the oven. Repeat the basting every hour after until the 5 hour mark is reached.

9

At the 5-hour mark, pull the roast and check for tenderness. Using two forks, in the thickest part of the roast, pull apart the pork, if it comes apart with no resistance, it's ready. If it resists, replace the lid and put back in the oven for 20 minute increments until it's fall apart tender.

10

Use two forks or kitchen tongs to shred the pork in the Dutch oven and stir the shredded pork into the braising sauce.

11

Serve on four tortillas topped with cabbage slaw, cilantro, lime and sriracha sauce.

Cabbage Slaw

12

Combine veggies in a large mixing bowl.

13

In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, oils, ginger and sriracha sauce to an emulsified dressing.

14

Pour the dressing over the veggies and mix with your hands, coating all the veggies with dressing, until thoroughly mixed.

15

Sprinkle with a pinch of Kosher salt and mix once more.

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