Chile Negro Pork Tacos With 50/50 Tortillas

Description

Source: COOK COLOR - MARIA ZIZKA

Chile negro peppers are such a dark shade of brown that they appear to be black. These tortillas are made with blue masa harina and tinted with just a little bit of cocoa noir so that they become black, too.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds (910 g) boneless pork shoulder
• Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 ounces (57 g) dried chile negro peppers, stemmed
• 1 small yellow onion, peeled and quartered
• 4 tomatillos, husks removed and halved
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 ½ teaspoons cumin seeds
• ½ cup (120 ml) boiling water
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 cup (115 g) blue corn masa harina
• 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened noir (extra-dark) cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 5 tablespoons (65 g) lard
• 1 cup (240 ml) hot water
• Vegetable oil, for the pan

Directions

1. Make the pork: Cut the pork into 6 pieces and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt and lots of black pepper.
2. Place it in a container, cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 3 days.
3. Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C).
4. In a Dutch oven or other oven-safe pot, toast the chiles over medium-high heat, flipping them with tongs, until fragrant and flexible, 2 to 4 minutes total.
5. Transfer them to a plate.
6. Put the onion and tomatillos in the pan, cut-side down, and cook, without stirring, until charred in a few places, about 5 minutes.
7. Transfer to the plate with the chiles.
8. Remove the pan from the heat, add the garlic and cumin, stir them around, and let them toast in the residual heat.
9. Transfer the toasted chiles to a blender and grind to a coarse powder.
10. Pour in half the boiling water and blend to combine.
11. Pour in the remaining water and blend again.
12. Add the charred tomatillos, onion, garlic, cumin, and ¼ teaspoon salt.
13. Blend until smooth.
14. Return the Dutch oven to medium-high heat.
15. Use paper towels to pat the pork completely dry.
16. Swirl in the vegetable oil, then add half the pork in a single layer and cook, without stirring, until browned on the first side, about 4 minutes.
17. Flip and cook on the other side until browned, 2 to 4 minutes more.
18. Use tongs to move the browned pork to a plate and repeat to sear the remaining pork.
19. Return all the meat to the pot and pour in the chile sauce.
20. Cover and transfer the pot to the oven.
21. Bake until the meat is falling-apart tender, about 3 hours.
22. Meanwhile, make the tortillas: In a medium bowl, stir together the masa harina, flour, cocoa noir, baking powder, and salt.
23. Use your fingertips to rub the lard into the flour mixture.
24. Stir in the hot water, then knead the dough for 3 to 5 minutes.
25. Divide the dough into 12 equal-size balls.
26. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
27. Using a tortilla press or a rolling pin, flatten each ball to a 4- to 5-inch (10 to 12.5 cm) circle.
28. Heat a lightly oiled cast-iron skillet over medium heat for 2 minutes.
29. Working with one dough round at a time, place it in the skillet and cook until puffed and golden brown in a few places on the first side, about 1 minute.
30. Flip and cook on the second side for another 1 minute.
31. Wrap the cooked tortilla in a clean kitchen towel to keep it soft while you cook the remaining dough.
32. When the pork is done, shred it, and spoon onto a warm tortilla.

Yield: Serves 4 to 6 (makes twelve 4-inch/10 cm tortillas)