This recipe makes more than you will need for a meal. Leftover tinga, which only gets better after a couple of days in the fridge, makes a main course (especially when enhanced with frozen peas and diced carrots), paired with Mexican Rice or Cumin-Scented Fried Potatoes. If there’s any leftover pork after that, use it to fill empanadas and freeze them.
Ingredients
For the Pork Tinga
- 2 tablespoons dry adobo, homemade or store-bought
- One 4-pound boneless pork shoulder roast, cut into 5 or 6 pieces, each about 2 inches wide
- 1 grapefruit juice
- 2 lemons juice
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more as needed
- 4 Mexican chorizos (about 1 pound), removed from casings
- 2 medium yellow onions, finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- One 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- Kosher or fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- 18 corn tortillas
How to Make It
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Marinate the Pork
- Rub the dry adobo into the slices of pork, seasoning all sides well. Put in a roasting pan or baking dish large enough to hold the pork in a single layer. Pour the citrus juices over the pork and turn to coat all sides. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or as long as overnight, turning the pork in the marinade occasionally. Make the Filling
- Remove the pork from the marinade and pat dry; discard the marinade. Heat the vegetable oil in a Dutch oven or large casserole over medium-high heat. Lay only as many of the pork slices in the pot as will fit comfortably and cook, turning the pieces as necessary, until browned on all sides, being careful not to burn the bottom of the pot; lower the heat a little if necessary. Transfer the pork pieces to a plate as they brown and add the remaining pieces to the pan, replenishing the oil if necessary.
- Add the chorizo to the pot and cook, stirring to break up any big pieces, until browned, about 5 minutes. Add the onions and garlic, stirring to pick up any brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the orégano, cumin, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves and toss in the bay leaves. Stir in the canned tomatoes and season with salt and pepper to taste. Return the pork to the pot, turning it to coat with the sauce. Bring to a boil, then adjust the heat so the sauce is simmering, and cover the pot. Cook until the pork falls apart easily when poked with a fork, 1½ to 2 hours. Skim the fat off the top of the sauce occasionally as the pork cooks.
- Remove the pork to a large plate. Coarsely shred the pork with 2 forks and stir back into the sauce. Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper if necessary. The pork can be prepared up to 2 days in advance. Let cool completely and refrigerate. Rewarm the pork over low heat, adding a small amount of water if necessary to make the sauce smooth.
- To serve, wrap the tortillas in aluminum foil and place in a preheated 350°F oven until warmed through and softened, about 15 minutes. Place a heaping tablespoonful of the filling on each tortilla and roll up. Serve hot with your favorite salsa.
