Pulled pork, cooked in a zesty chipotle fig sauce is taco Tuesday done right and a great example of pork and fig recipes. This Mexican pulled pork taco recipe is great for a crowd too.
Pork and Fig Recipes: Start Here
We developed a dish that shattered cooking assumptions: first, that heftier meat cuts, such as pork butt, aren’t for weeknight meals. Employing a slow cooker to tenderize tough but richly flavored pork butt over the course of a day gave us succulent meat in time for dinner.
To give our Mexican pulled pork taco recipe an equally rich sauce, we created a complex sauce quickly by deploying just the right pantry staples: chili powder, cumin, chipotle chiles, canned tomato sauce for acidity, and—for just the right sweetness—figs.
Pork and fig recipes work well together—the fruity sweetness of the figs balances the savory flavor of the pork. Once the pork was cooked through, we removed it and blended the sauce to give it the perfect consistency. A little lime juice and cilantro at the end balanced the flavors and completed this Mexican pulled pork taco recipe. Pork butt roast is often labeled Boston butt in the supermarket. Serve with guacamole, sour cream, chopped onion, chopped cilantro, thinly sliced radishes, and lime wedges.
We prefer to make this recipe with Orchard Choice and Sun-Maid Black Mission Figs, though Golden Figs can be substituted for more of a delicately sweet, nutty, and tangy flavor.
Serving Ideas
Skip the corn tortillas and serve the pulled pork in lettuce cups. Or, scoop the pulled pork on top of rice and beans to serve as burrito bowls. Take the pork into a bun and you’ve got a sandwich that would be stellar at a cookout too—especially with pickled onions and some fresh cilantro. This smoky, spicy, sweet Mexican pulled pork taco recipe is so versatile!
Fig Mexican Pulled Pork Taco Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 can tomato sauce (15-ounce)
- 1 cup Orchard Choice or Sun-Maid California Figs stemmed, dried
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 tablespoons ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon minced canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce
- 3 garlic cloves peeled
- 1 boneless pork butt roast trimmed, (3-pound)
- Salt and pepper
- ½ cup minced fresh cilantro
- 3 tablespoons lime juice 2 limes
- 12 corn tortillas warmed, (6-inch)
Instructions
- Combine tomato sauce, figs, chili powder, cumin, chipotle, and garlic in 5½- to 7-quart slow cooker. Slice pork crosswise into 4 equal pieces, trim excess fat, and season with salt and pepper. Nestle pork into slow cooker, cover, and cook until pork is tender, 9 to 10 hours on low or 6 to 7 hours on high.
- Transfer pork to bowl and let cool slightly. Using 2 forks, shred into bite-size pieces, discarding excess fat. Using large spoon, skim excess fat from surface of mole sauce.
- Process sauce in blender until smooth, about 1 minute. Stir in cilantro and lime juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. (Adjust sauce consistency with hot water as needed.) Stir 2 cups sauce into shredded pork. Serve with warm tortillas and remaining sauce.
