This is part of a sponsored collaboration with National Pork Board and . However all opinions expressed here are my own.
Ready for a drool-worthy sandwich? This Mexican Pulled Pork Torta was inspired by Mexican street food and similar to traditional pulled pork sandwiches.
If you have been reading this blog for a while than you know I love to travel. One of the things I enjoy most about traveling is getting a chance to experience a new place’s food. As much as I love a great restaurant or resort dinner on vacation what I really love is street food. This Mexican Pulled Pork Torta sandwich is reminiscent of the street food I’ve enjoyed while visiting Cancun, Mazatlan,Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas Mexico. Fondly, it also reminds me of some of the sandwiches I’ve enjoyed from my mother-in-law’s kitchen.
Mexican Pulled Pork Torta
I had my first Mexican Pulled Pork Torta thanks to a road trip from Kansas to Dallas with my husband, brother-in-law and his wife. I can’t recall the reason for the road trip but I can remember my mother-in-law packing sandwiches for the road. Usually from road trips people pack traditional sandwiches but to my surprise my mother-in-law had packed Tortas.
Since my first taste of my road trip sandwich I have enjoyed Tortas often while traveling, ordering them from street food vendors or from hole-in-the-wall restaurants. During my last trip to Cancun I didn’t get the chance to have a Torta so I decided to create one at home.
The Star of the Recipe
Mexican Pulled Pork Torta is similar to what most know as a traditional pulled pork sandwich. Where it takes a departure from its counterpart is the addition of sandwich toppings like lettuce, cilantro, onion and avocado. The popular and delicious pork shoulder and pork tenderloin are great options for grilling, roasting or in my case cooking on a stovetop. For my Mexican Pulled Pork Torta I used pork shoulder but pork loin would work as well. I prefer pork shoulder because I think the bones add to the flavor the pork.
Let’s Get Cooking!
To prepare my pork shoulder for cooking I coated it in olive oil, salt, pepper, Adobo seasoning and crushed garlic. As can be seen in the video I seared the pork shoulder in a large hot pan until lightly browned on each side before adding water to cover the shoulder. The pork cooked over low heat for 3-4 hours or until it started falling apart. As soon as the pork shoulder was done I removed it from the pot and shredded it.
In a large pan I heated olive oil and added sliced onion to the pan. Next, I added one small can of green chiles, 3 tablespoons of tomato sauce which had been blended with salt, garlic powder and oregano to taste (it should be slightly salty). Finally, I added several dashes of chili powder and added about 4 cups of shredded pork to the pan allowing it to reheat and blend with the seasonings.
The Mexican Pulled Pork Torta is best served on a toasted bun or hard roll. As shown above in the picture the pork is topped with shredded lettuce, cilantro, sliced onion and avocado before generously drizzling with Valentina Hot Sauce.
Mexican Pulled Pork Torta
Ingredients
- 1 large bone-in pork shoulder 7-9 pounds
- olive oil
- salt
- pepper
- Adobo seasoning
- 3 tablespoons crushed garlic
- 4-6 whole peppercorns
- 1 medium onion sliced
- 1 small can of chopped green chiles 4.5 oz.
- 3 tablespoons of seasoned tomato sauce seasoned with salt, oregano and garlic powder
- Chili powder
- Sandwich rolls toasted
- Toppings: lettuce cilantro, red onion, avocado, Valentina hot sauce
Instructions
- Prepare pork shoulder by seasoning with olive oil, salt, pepper, Adobo seasoning and crushed garlic. Rub pork shoulder generously. Sear pork shoulder in large, hot pan on both sides. Add water to cover. Grab a handful of peppercorns and add them to water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and slowly simmer for 3-5 hours or until meat starts to fall off the bone. Remove meat from water and shred.
- To prepare pork for sandwiches, add olive oil to large pan. Add onion. Cook onion until translucent over medium heat. Next, add chiles and tomato sauce. Take about 4 cups of pulled pork and add them to pan and sprinkle with several dashes of chili powder. Feel free to add more tomato sauce if needed to add more moisture to the pork. Combine.
- Toast sandwich buns. Add one heaping serving of pork to sandwich bun. Top with shredded lettuce, cilantro, red onion, avocado and then drizzle with Valentina hot sauce. Serve with tortilla chips and enjoy!
This Mexican Pulled Pork Torta is one of those sandwiches that satisfy you deep down to your very core. They are a bit messy so eat them around people who love good food and eating well as much as you do — there’s no shame in your Torta game.
I can already tell you these are going to be on our post-Christmas / pre-New Year’s Eve meal plan. Pork is a great options to serve on or around the holidays – or any time of the year.
The National Pork Board has you covered with mouthwatering recipes that you can serve any time, especially during this holiday season. Visit PorkBeInspired.com for recipes ideas and visit your nearest store to find several cuts of pork at affordable prices. For more pork recipes search #ElSaborDeHoy on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.
Enjoy the taste of a delicious meal! Bring the holiday spirit to your family, friends or neighbors with pork recipes.
Cheers!
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