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Monday, December 12, 2011

Sweet Pork Tacos with Cilantro Ranch Dressing

I've decided the way to successfully use my crockpot is to only cook with it when I'm home to monitor it. Yes, I realize this defeats the overall purpose of the crockpot, but until I feel like shelling out money for a new one this has become my only feasible option to prevent burnt food. Since I didn't want to miss out on this recipe for Sweet Pork Tacos with Cilantro Ranch Dressing, I made it on a Sunday. It was perfect because I didn't really have to do anything except keep an eye on it and flip the meat over a few times so the side that wasn't completely submerged in the liquid didn't dry out.


With all the Thanksgiving leftovers taking up space in my fridge I couldn't fit the crockpot insert in there as well, so I double-bagged two galloon freezer bags and put them into a Corningware dish to sit in the fridge overnight. I was a little skeptical of the three cans of Coke, but all it added was a nice sweetness. The pork is definitely sweet, but the tanginess from the cilantro ranch dressing helps offset it.

I served my tacos with shredded cheddar and pepper Jack cheeses, with some extra sprigs of cilantro as a garnish. Absolutely delicious and even better the next day. This made a lot of food so I froze about half of it for another time. I'm thinking about making quesadillas with the leftovers - melty cheese, the sweet meat and maybe some tomatoes for freshness, all dipped in the delicious sauce. Yum!

Sweet Pork Tacos with Cilantro Ranch Dressing
Cassie Craves

For the pork:
2 to 3 pound pork roast
3 cans Coca-Cola
1 cup brown sugar
2 cloves garlic
1 can diced green chilies
1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
1 packet taco seasoning

For the dressing:
1 cup salsa verde
1 packet ranch dressing mix
1/3 cup cilantro
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup sour cream
1 clove minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 cup sugar

Tortillas and shredded cheese for serving

The night before you want to serve, place pork in the bottom of a slow cooker. Mix together all other ingredients for the pork and pour over the roast. Cover the slow cooker and refrigerate overnight.

Cook pork mixture on low for 6 to 8 hours, or until the pork shreds easily with a fork. Remove pork from crockpot and shred. Spoon some of the cooking liquid onto the shredded pork to moisten it.

Blend all dressing ingredients in a food processor or blender. Serve drizzled over pork.

4 comments:

  1. This looks really yummy! What a great combination! Spicy, ranch and pork! Love it!

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  2. I'm so glad you liked these! Just something about the sweet pork and that tangy, spicy dressing is so perfect. Now I really want to have these again.

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  3. These caught my eye this morning! While I've never had anything burn in my crock pot (knock on wood!), I think slow-cooked meat for tacos is my FAVORITE thing to throw in the slow cooker. I can't wait to try these!

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  4. I too made pork this weekend, although yours looks just fabulous!

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