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This is the archived version of the Milk Street website and is no longer up to date.

Please visit 177milkstreet.com to see the current website with all of the latest recipes!

Yucatecan Citrus-Marinated Pork Tacos

6 to 8 Servings

55 minutes

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These tacos are inspired by poc chuc, a rustic grilled pork with Mayan roots that is popular throughout the Yucatán, a coastal state in southeastern Mexico. We learned it from home cook Aidee Gonzalez, who seasons slices of pork with a sour orange juice marinade, then quickly cooks the meat on a hot comal (a griddle-like pan). The charred pork is paired with avocado, fresh onion and cilantro, often all tucked together inside warm corn tortillas. Sour oranges are difficult to source in the U.S., so our take on the dish looks to a combination of lime juice plus regular orange juice, as well as garlic and fresh cilantro, to recreate the tangy, zesty marinade. For ease, we thinly slice and pound the pork, then cook it briefly under the broiler, yielding a crisp, well-caramelized crust on both sides. Sharp red onion and quick-pickled habanero add crunchy freshness and heat to the finished dish.

6 to 8

Servings

Tip

Don’t marinate the pork for much longer than 30 minutes. The acidity helps tenderize and season the tough cut of meat, but also can cause it to dry out if left for too long.

55 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2

    tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro stems, plus ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves, reserved separately

  • 2

    tablespoons white vinegar

Directions

Reviews
Dana C.
September 7, 2024
Very tasty!
We enjoyed this dish. I used pork shoulder and trimmed it after I made the 1/2-inch slices. I grilled the pork on a gas grill on high. It was wonderful.
Larry F.
September 9, 2023
PICKLED HABANERO! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN MY WHOLE LIFE!
PICKLED HABANERO! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN MY WHOLE LIFE! Citrus flavor was there but the use of boneless pork shoulder makes this dish difficult to make and even harder to chew. I would certainly make this dish again but use Pork Tenderloin instead of Pork Shoulder. We had it with a side of Guacamole, OMG the Pickel Habanero with the Guacamole & homemade tortillas is a meal itself, 5-Stars. Pork Shoulder is hard to cut and trim, and its simply the wrong meat for quick broil, this recipe screams for Pork Tenderloin!
Jimmie S.
June 14, 2024
Not worth the effort
Did not care for this at all. My husband ate it but not worth all the time it took to make

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