Citrus-braised pork tacos

In Mexico, the dish known as cochinita pibil is made by rubbing a whole sucklingpig with warm spices and juice from bitter oranges, then wrapping it in banana leaves and slowly pit-roasting it until it is succulent and richly flavored.

To achieve a similar dish at home, we turned to wellmarbled pork butt roast and traded the banana leaves and pit of coals for a Dutch oven, which, when placed in a moderate oven, allowed the pork to braise gently to tenderness.

To give the pork its distinctive f lavor, usually achieved with hard-to-find ingredients like bitter oranges and annatto, we used frozen orange juice concentrate, tomato paste for color and depth, and bay leaves for herbal flavor.

A quick habanero sauce, made with a traditional cooked-carrot base, and pickled red onions balanced out the rich meat. Pork butt roast is often labeled Boston butt. If you want a spicier sauce, you can add the remaining habanero; if you are spice-a verse, substitute a less-spicy jalapeno for the habanero.

Citrus-braised pork tacos

Servings: 6 Start to finish: 3hours

INGREDIENTS

Pork: 2tablespoons vegetable oil 1onion, chopped fine 3garlic cloves, minced 1teaspoon ground cumin 1teaspoon dried oregano 1⁄2 teaspoon ground allspice 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1⁄3 cup tomato paste 11⁄2 cups water 1⁄4 cup frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed 3tablespoons distilled white vinegar 11⁄2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 5bay leaves Salt and pepper 1(21⁄2-to-3pound) boneless pork butt roast, trimmed and cut into 1inch chunks Pickled Red Onions: 1red onion, halved and sliced thin 1cup distilled white vinegar 1⁄3 cup sugar 1⁄4 teaspoon salt Habanero Sauce: 1cupwater 1carrot, peeled and chopped 1vine-ripened tomato, cored and chopped 1⁄4 cup chopped onion 1⁄2 habanero chile, stemmed 1garlic clove, smashed and peeled Salt and pepper 1tablespoon distilled white vinegar 11⁄2 teaspoons lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving 18(6inch) corn tortillas, warmed

INSTRUCTIONS

For the pork: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 300F. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook until lightly browned, 4to 6minutes. Stir in garlic, cumin, oregano, allspice, and cinnamon and cook until fragrant, about 30seconds. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until paste begins to darken, about 45 seconds. Stir in water, orange juice concentrate, 2tablespoons vinegar, Worcestershire, bay leaves, 2teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper, scraping up any browned bits. Add pork and bring to boil. Transfer pot to oven and cook, uncovered, until pork is tender, about 2hours, stirring once halfway through cooking. For the pickled red onions: Meanwhile, place onion in medium bowl. Bring vinegar, sugar, and salt to simmer in small saucepan over mediumhigh heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves. Pour over onions and cover loosely. Let onions cool completely, about 30minutes. (Onions can be refrigerated for up to 1week.) For the habanero sauce: Combine water, carrot, tomato, onion, habanero, garlic, and 1⁄2 teaspoon salt in now-empty saucepan. Bring to boil over medium heat and cook until carrot is tender, about 10 minutes. Off heat, let carrot mixture cool slightly, about 5minutes. Transfer carrot mixture to blender, add vinegar and lime juice, and process until smooth, 1to 2minutes. Season sauce with salt andpepper to taste; set aside. (Sauce can be refrigerated for up to 1week.) Remove pot from oven; discard bay leaves. Using potato masher, mash pork until finely shredded. Bring to simmer over medium-high heat and cook until most of liquid has evaporated, 3to 5minutes. Off heat, stir in remaining 1tablespoon vinegar and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve pork on tortillas with pickled red onions, habanero sauce, and lime wedges.

JOE KELLER—ASSOCIATED PRESS This undated photo provided by America’s Test Kitchen in January 2019shows Citrus-Braised Pork Tacos in Brookline, Mass. This recipe appears in the book “Cook It In Your Dutch Oven.”