Recipe: Hand-Shredded Mexican Pork (makes 12-14 servings)

HAND-SHREDDED MEXICAN PORK

"Boldly seasoned pork is cooked to fall-apart tenderness and then shredded with a fork. Serve the shredded pork in warm tortillas along with your favorite toppings."

1 to 2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 (3 pound) boneless lean pork shoulder roast, cut into 2 to 3-inch chunks
2 large onions, chopped (2 cups)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 (16 ounce) can tomatoes, cut up
3 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped
3 bay leaves
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
FOR SERVING:
12 to 14 large flour or corn tortillas
Desired toppings (shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, chopped tomatoes, salsa, guacamole, snipped fresh cilantro, dairy sour cream, and/or shredded lettuce)

Heat oil in an oven-going 4-quart Dutch oven over medium- high heat. Cook and stir pork, several pieces at a time, in the hot oil until brown. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a medium mixing bowl; repeat with remaining pork until all is browned.

Reduce heat to medium. Cook and stir onions and garlic in the same pan about 5 minutes or until tender. Drain off fat.

Stir undrained tomatoes, jalapeno peppers, bay leaves, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, and black pepper into Dutch oven. Stir in pork.

Bake, covered, in a 325 degree F oven about 2 hours or until pork is very tender when pierced with a fork. Remove pork from cooking liquid with a slotted spoon; cool. Reserve cooking liquid in Dutch oven; skim off fat. Discard bay leaves.

Shred the pork using 2 forks to pull through the meat in opposite directions. Return the shredded pork to cooking liquid. Heat through.

TO SERVE:
Spoon some of the warm pork mixture onto half of each tortilla. Add desired toppings; fold other half of tortilla over the pork mixture.

Makes 12 to 14 servings
From: Recipelink.com
Source: Recipe booklet: Simply Summer, Better Homes and Gardens, 1996