Cochinita Pibil Tacos with Habanero Salsa
You’ve done the work to make the Yucatan-Style Slow-Roasted Pork (page 66) already, so now you get to take advantage of its depth of flavor and combine it with a fiery (and I mean that) salsa and Citrus-Pickled Onions (page 19) in these vibrant tacos. This recipe makes about 1/4 cup of the salsa, and a little goes a long way, so you may have some left over. It will last for 2 weeks refrigerated in an airtight container, and you can use it on all manner of eggs and meats, and as a salad dressing base, but my favorite use might be to mash a tablespoon or two into the yolks of a half dozen hard-cooked eggs, along with mayo, for a party snack that puts the devil back into deviled eggs, for sure. (And yes, pickled onions are good on those babies, too.)
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Heat the pork in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until hot, 4 to 5 minutes.
Step 2
Char the habanero by holding it with tongs over the flame of a gas burner for several minutes, turning it as needed, until it is spotted black and blistered all over. Remove the loose outer layers of papery skin from the garlic clove but leave the tight inner peel intact. Char it over the gas burner using the same technique, until it is completely blackened. (If you don’t have a gas stove, broil the habanero and garlic clove a few inches from the broiler element, turning as needed to char them all over.)
Step 3
Warm the tortillas (see page 85), then wrap in aluminum foil to keep warm.
Step 4
Carefully stem the habanero, scrape out the seeds, and coarsely chop the flesh, preferably wearing plastic gloves to protect your fingers from the heat of the chile. Peel the garlic clove, coarsely chop it, and add it, along with about half the habanero, to the bowl of a food processor (preferably a mini one). Add the cilantro, scallion, lime juice, oil, and salt to taste and process until a loose sauce forms. Taste and add the rest of the habanero if you want the salsa to be spicier, and add more lime juice and/or salt if needed.
Step 5
Lay the tortillas out on a plate. Divide the pork equally among the tortillas, top with the pickled onions and just a little bit of the salsa (be judicious until you know how much you can handle), and eat.
