Chorizo-Spiced Pulled Pork With Mexican Street Corn Slaw Recipe

By
Morgan Eisenberg
Morgan Eisenberg is a contributing writer at Serious Eats.
Morgan Eisenberg
Morgan Eisenberg is a creative blogger at Host the Toast. She has an absolute obsession over all things edible.
Learn about Serious Eats' Editorial Process
Updated Jun. 05, 2019
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Photographs: Morgan Eisenberg

Why This Recipe Works

  • The spices, juices from the pork, and beer create a great sauce to moisten the shredded pork.
  • The slaw features ingredients typically found in elote (or Mexican street corn), for an interesting spin on an old favorite pulled pork accompaniment.

With warm weather comes an increase in barbecue consumption, though if I'm being honest, I'm even more of a fan of Mexican chorizo than I am of pulled pork. But why choose between the two? Instead, bring them together by braising pork shoulder with chorizo spices, then shredding it like pulled pork. The crowning glory: a coleslaw made with corn, mayo, and cotija cheese, just like elote, the Mexican street corn.

Recipe Details

Chorizo-Spiced Pulled Pork With Mexican Street Corn Slaw Recipe

Active 60 mins
Total 4 hrs 30 mins
Serves 8 to 10 sandwiches

Ingredients

For the Slaw:

  • 2 cups fresh cooked corn kernels

  • 14 ounces finely shredded green cabbage

  • 2 medium cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 to 2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced

  • 1 tablespoon ancho chile powder

  • 3 ounces cotija cheese, crumbled

  • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, chopped

  • 2 tablespoon fresh juice from 2 limes

  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise

  • 1 tablespoon honey

  • Kosher salt, to taste

For the Pulled Pork:

  • 2 tablespoons paprika

  • 2 tablespoons ancho chile powder

  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt

  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin

  • 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano

  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander

  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

  • 3 1/2 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into 3-inch chunks

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced

  • 5 medium cloves garlic, minced

  • 24 ounces Mexican amber lager

  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch

  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, plus more to taste

  • 8 to 10 burger buns or tortillas

Directions

  1. For the Slaw: Combine all ingredients and refrigerate until ready to serve.

  2. For the Pulled Pork: Mix paprika, chili powder, salt, cumin, oregano, ground peppers, cinnamon, coriander, and cloves together in a small bowl. Rub the spice blend all over the pork. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.

  3. Preheat the oven to 300°F. In a Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat until lightly smoking. Add pork in batches and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned all over, about 8 minutes. Transfer pork to a plate. Reduce heat to medium, add the onions and cook, scraping the bottom of the pot to loosen the browned bits, until the onions are softened slightly, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and continue to cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

  4. Return the pork to the pot and pour in the beer. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover and transfer the pot to the oven. Cook until the pork shreds easily with two forks, about 3 hours.

  5. Strain the pork mixture and reserve the liquid. Shred the pork and set aside. Return the liquid to the pot and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Combine cornstarch with 3 tablespoons water and whisk into the braising liquid. Continue to simmer until thickened, then mix in the apple cider vinegar, adding more to taste if desired. Stir in the shredded pork.

  6. Serve on buns or in tortillas with the corn slaw.

Special equipment

Dutch oven

Notes

The spice mixture can temporarily stain your skin, so wear disposable gloves if you'd like to protect your hands while rubbing the pork with the spices.

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
669 Calories
38g Fat
43g Carbs
37g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8 to 10
Amount per serving
Calories 669
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 38g 48%
Saturated Fat 12g 61%
Cholesterol 118mg 39%
Sodium 916mg 40%
Total Carbohydrate 43g 15%
Dietary Fiber 4g 15%
Total Sugars 8g
Protein 37g
Vitamin C 23mg 116%
Calcium 223mg 17%
Iron 5mg 25%
Potassium 791mg 17%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)