Coconut Vinegar Pork
While visiting the state of Colima, Mexico, Chef Nico Mejía took me to a roadside stand where a gentleman stood over a huge metal pot with a pile of tortillas sitting next to it. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but when the man lifted the lid from the pot, the aroma of what was inside was captivating. He used a long wood spoon to stir the mixture, and then raised a pile of caramel-colored shredded meat, piling it onto a paper plate. He topped it with cabbage, radishes and 2 corn tortillas and hand it over to me. It wasn’t until I had eaten every drop that Nico explained that the pork was cook with coconut vinegar, made from the sap of the coconut palm trees that are plentiful in the area. As soon as I got home I tried my hand at making my own tatemado de Colima, although sourcing coconut vinegar was only possible by ordering online. It took several hours of cooking and lot of patience before I got to serve my own pot of steaming pork, and it was divine! Be sure to allow plenty of time for the meat to marinate before cooking until it falls off the bone. It also makes a delicious pulled pork sandwich!
Ingredients
Serves 8-10
4 guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
5-6 pound bone-in pork shoulder
1 tablespoon sea salt (I use Colima sea salt), plus more for seasoning
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups coconut vinegar
8 large garlic cloves, peeled
5 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 handful cilantro (stems included)
Process
Heat a medium skillet over high heat. Add the dried chiles and toast each side for about 20-30 seconds, until fragrant. Be careful not to burn them. Remove chiles and place in a bowl with 2 cups of hot water, submerging by putting a plate on top. Let sit for 30 minutes, until chiles are soft and hydrated. Meanwhile, sprinkle salt all over the pork shoulder and set it into a large Dutch oven or pot with lid. Put rehydrated chiles in the bowl of a blender, along with the soaking water, plus 1 more cup of water. Add remaining ingredients and blend until smooth. Pour mixture over the pork, coating all sides. Cover and refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight.
Once pork has marinated in refrigerator, put the pot into a cold oven and heat to 325 degrees. Cook pork for 5-6 hours, until a skewer easily inserts into the center of the pork. Remove pot from the oven and increase the oven temperature to broil. Return the pot, uncovered, to the oven and broil until the pork is deeply browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer pork to a shallow pan and let rest. Pour the cooking liquid into a saucepan (you should have about 3 cups). With a spoon, remove as much fat at the top that you can and discard. Heat cooking liquid over medium high heat and bring to a simmer. Cook until sauce is reduced by half. Meanwhile, shred the pork into a large bowl and stir in the sauce. Season with more salt, if needed.
To serve, top warm corn tortillas with pork and add chopped onions, queso fresco, and radishes.
