Chile Braised Pork Shoulder Tostadas

I’m changing up my typical Taco Tuesday routine and going with Tostada Tuesday this week. When I originally told Ryan we were making tostadas, he said it sounded good.  Later I found out that he didn't really know what a tostada was, so this is how I explained it to him - it's basically an open taco with a crispy tortilla.  Why eat a tostada over a taco?  Well I'm a big fan of both, but you can really load up a tostada (see below) like you can't with a taco since you're eating it with a knife and fork.  I'm notorious for trying to put too much in a taco, so this is a great way to get the best of all worlds.

These chile braised pork shoulder tostadas are a bit time consuming, but they are absolutely delicious and 100% worth the wait.  Every once in a while, I like to slow roast some meets to get some great flavor and add a little variety to my diet.  The great part about slow cooking meat is that you can develop really great flavor that you just can't get when you're cooking meats quickly.  So take the time to slow cook your meats and then pair them with some quick and easy sides or toppings!  I've been loving having fresh avocado or guacamole just about every day and the rest of the topping are so easy to make, you'll definitely want to make this recipe more than once.

I also opted for grilling up some fresh corn on the cob, which took a little extra effort, but I think was worth it in the long run.  If you don't have the time or energy (I don't blame you if you don't) you can just use frozen grilled corn and defrost it.  You get the same sweet pop of flavor either way with one being way simpler than the other!

Total Time: 3 hours

Servings: 6-8

For the Pork Shoulder:

3 lbs boneless pork shoulder

4 dried ancho chiles (or 

2 chiles de arbol or japones, large dried

2 bay leaves

2 tsp coriander

3 cloves garlic

2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp allspice

Salt

2 tbs vegetable oil

2 tsp cumin

1 12 oz Negro Modelo (or other dark beer)

For the Tostada:

4 ears of corn, grilled

8-10 corn tortillas

Salsa

Lettuce

Guacamole

Lime Juice

Cotija Cheese

Black beans

Cilantro

Instructions:

1. Place chiles in a medium bowl and cover with boiling water.  Set a small plate or bowl on top of them to keep the chiles submerged.  Let soak for 30 minutes and drain, reserving 1 cup of the soaking liquid.
2. Preheat oven to 350° F.
3. Place chiles, lime juice and 1/4 cup of the reserved soaking liquid in a blender.  Puree mixture, adding more soaking liquid as needed to form a smooth paste.
4. Cut pork shoulder into 3-4" cubes, season generously with salt and spread paste over the cubes.  I like to do this 1-2 days in advance so the meat has time to marinade in the chiles.
5. Heat oil in large heavy pot over medium heat.  Add garlic, bay leaves, oregano, coriander, cumin & all spice.  Cook, stirring often until garlic is browned and fragrant, about 3-4 minutes.
6. Add beer and bring to a boil.  Add pork, cover & transfer to the oven.
7. Braise pork, basting occasionally with pan juices, until very tender.  About 2 1/2 hours.  The pork should easily pull apart with a fork.
8. To crisp up the tortillas, lightly coat them in oil and salt and pepper both sides.  Place in the oven for 16 minutes, flipping 1/2 way through.
9. To plate your tostada, add your toppings in this order: beans, meat, lettuce, salsa, guacamole, corn, cotija, cilantro & drizzle with lime juice.

How good does that look?  Yes, it's definitely a time consuming recipe but I love slow cooking on a Saturday or Sunday and having an absolutely delicious and special meal.  We couldn't get enough of these tostadas.

Pair them with a freshly squeezed margarita and there's really nothing better.