Tequila! Carnitas

There's a taco bar at the Milwaukee Public Market that Bill and I love called Margarita Paradise (and yes, they have amazing margaritas, too!). Between the two of us, we could probably easily put away a dozen tacos in a sitting. They're just that good! Their pork tacos are without a doubt the best I've ever had, and I'll probably spend the rest of my days trying to recreate them. Luckily, my first attempt went pretty well!

While it's nowhere near an exact duplication, my version of pork tacos is of the tequila-marinated variety. (Seriously, can you go wrong with tequila anything?? Because to me, tequila + tacos = paradise!)

Tequila Carnitas Tacos
Ingredients:
2-3 lb. pork tenderloin
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, sliced thin
2 chipotle chiles in adobo, chopped
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup tequila
A variety of hard and soft taco shells
Salsa and sour cream for serving

Directions:
Place onion, garlic and chipotle chiles in slow cooker. Cut pork tenderloin in half and place in slow cooker. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil. Add chicken broth and tequila. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, turning meat once or twice.

Remove meat from slow cooker and shred with two forks. Return meat to slow cooker and heat through. Serve in hard or soft corn shells, top with salsa and sour cream as desired.


It really is as easy as it sounds. The meat ended up being super flavorful, but it actually could have used a bit more heat. I'd recommend adding one or two more chipotle chiles, which would kick it up a notch. And if you're like Bill and could stand for it to be extra spicy, you might even add a dash of chili powder.

The pork tenderloin I used happened to be living in my freezer, and I imagine that contributed to the slight dryness of the meat. Fresh pork would have been more tender and juicy, but don't let that stop you from using what you have on hand in the freezer.

All in all, a tasty dinner! Definitely worth a repeat performance, and soon!