Chipotle and orange pork tacos

Pork second courses Mexican cuisine

Growing up, and in my young adulthood, the taco typically represented the yellow corn tortilla hard shells that you typically buy at the local grocery store, stuffed with ground meat that was seasoned by the taco seasoning packet, and topped with shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, and shredded cheddar cheese. For the most part, that is ok, and better yet, it is what my kids enjoy. After living in Dallas, and then when moving back to Milwaukee, I really began to experience what a really good taco was, and it had nothing to do with a hard shell, or shredded lettuce. Granted, those toppings are fine, and the beauty about a taco is that you can build it any way you desire. Almost like a pizza. Toppings are endless, and the crust can be thick, thin, or deep dish. <br /> <br />Over the years, my favorite tacos have been made with pork, and I “think” my all-time favorite is the tacos al pastor. As I try to please the masses, my wife thinks the tacos al pastor is just a bit spicy for her buds, so I have made other pork tacos for her and others, including some delicious carnitas, pork tinga, as well as a variety of chicken, or beef tacos. <br /> <br />This past week my wife had said to me, “You should really make them pork tacos!”, and I was curious which ones she was referring to. When I asked her if they were the ones marinated in orange juice, or the ones cooked with the potatoes? She said “those really yummy ones you made for Mark’s house when Fran and Melissa were in town”. She was referring to the tinga. As I had already made those not too long ago, what I wanted to come up with something different. Something on the same textures of the tinga, that had the fall apart texture when you poked it with a fork, but also one on the same lines of the carnitas, but one with just a slight bit of heat to accommodate my needs as well. Welcome, to the chipotle and orange marinaded pork.