Crispy pork tacos
Mexican-style food at its best
Crispy pork tacos
Serves 6
Cooks In30 minutes
DifficultyNot too tricky
Nutrition per serving
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Ingredients
- 1 green pepper
- 1 large red onion
- 1 fresh green chilli
- 1 pinch of ground cloves
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- leftover pork dripping , optional
- olive oil
- 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
- 2 x 400 g tins of black beans
- 300 g leftover cooked higher-welfare pork
- leftover pork crackling , optional
- 1 level teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
- 12 taco shells
- ½ an iceberg lettuce
- 6 tablespoons fat-free natural yoghurt
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Method
- Deseed the pepper and peel the onion. Finely slice the pepper and half the onion, ideally in a food processor or on a mandolin (use the guard!), or by hand using good knife skills. Very finely slice the chilli by hand, then tip all these into a bowl with the cloves, vinegar and a really good pinch of salt. Gently scrunch together to make a pickle and leave to one side.
- Finely chop the remaining onion half and put it into a medium pan on a medium-low heat, ideally with a spoonful of leftover pork dripping, or a lug of oil, and the Cajun seasoning.
- Fry for 8 to 10 minutes, or until sweet and lightly golden, stirring occasionally, then tip in the beans (juice and all).
- Bring to the boil, mash slightly, then season to perfection and leave on a low heat to simmer gently and thicken for a few minutes, but don’t let them dry out.
- Meanwhile, cut the pork and any leftover crackling (if using) into 1cm dice and put into a medium frying pan on a medium heat with a splash of oil. Sprinkle with the paprika and fry for 5 to 8 minutes, or until dark and gnarly.
- Warm the tacos according to packet instructions, and shred the lettuce.
- When you’re ready to go, load up the tacos with the shredded lettuce, black beans and the crispy pork and crackling. Squeeze the onion and pepper pickle to get rid of the excess salty liquid, then add a little handful to each taco, top with a dollop of yoghurt and tuck in.
Tips
EASY SWAPS:
– I’m using leftover pork here, but it could be chicken or fish, or you can go all-out veggie.
– Go for spring onions, shallots or leek in place of the red onion, if you like.
– Cajun seasoning is great because it’s a blend so you get a lot of flavour from one ingredient. Feel free to try this recipe with other spice blends, too.
– Swap out black beans for black-eyed beans, pinto, kidney or even cannellini.
– Use soft tortillas or pitta breads in place of taco shells, if that’s what you’ve got.
– With the quick pickle, use any crunchy veg, like white or red cabbage, or carrots.
– You can finish with crème fraîche or cottage cheese instead of yoghurt, no problem.
