Pork Barbacoa
This 7-pound batch of slow-cooked Mexican pork yields enough protein for multiple meals throughout the week. The tender, spiced meat freezes exceptionally well in portioned containers and transforms quickly into tacos, burritos, enchiladas, or burrito bowls. One afternoon of cooking multiplies into 8+ servings ready for fast weeknight assembly.
Equipment
- Dutch Oven
- Pressure Cooker
- Skillet
- Bowl
- Blender
- Cutting Board
- Forks
Ingredients
Chile Sauce
- 8 Guajillo Chiles stemmed and seeded
- 4 Ancho Chiles stemmed and seeded
- 2 cups Hot Water for rehydrating chiles
- 4 cloves Garlic peeled
- 2 tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
- 1 teaspoon Mexican Oregano
- 1 teaspoon Dried Thyme
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
- ¼ teaspoon Ground Cloves
Braise
- 7 lb Pork Shoulder bone-in or boneless, trimmed and cut into 3-4 large chunks
- 2 tablespoon Kosher Salt Morton brand
- 2 tablespoon Avocado Oil or rendered pork fat from trimmings
- 2 cups Onions chopped, frozen package works perfectly
- 3 Bay Leaves dried
- 1 cup Chicken Stock
Instructions
Make the Chile Sauce
- Toast the guajillo and ancho chiles in a dry skillet over medium heat for 1-2 minutes per side until fragrant and pliable.
- Transfer to a bowl, cover with 2 cups hot water, and soak for 20 minutes until soft.
- Transfer the rehydrated chiles and about 1 cup of the soaking liquid to a blender.
- Add garlic, apple cider vinegar, cumin, oregano, thyme, black pepper, and ground cloves.
- Blend until completely smooth.
Prep and Sear
- Preheat oven to 300°F.
- Trim excess fat from the pork shoulder.
- Season the pork chunks generously on all sides with kosher salt.
- Sear in the Dutch oven over medium-high heat until a deep brown crust forms on all sides, about 3-4 minutes per side.
- Remove and set aside.
Build the Braise
- Sauté the chopped onions with a pinch of salt until translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add the blended chile sauce to the pot.
- Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Add chicken stock and stir to combine.
- Return the seared pork to the pot.
- Add bay leaves.
Braise
- Cover with a tight-fitting lid.
- Place in the oven and braise for 3 ½ to 4 hours until the meat falls apart with gentle pressure from a fork.
- Remove from oven.
- Pull the meat out and set on a cutting board.
- Remove and discard bay leaves.
Finish
- Shred the pork with two forks.
- Return the shredded pork to the pot and stir into the braising sauce.
- If the sauce is too thin, place the pot on the stovetop over medium heat and simmer uncovered for 10-15 minutes to reduce.
- Taste and adjust salt.
Notes
Rendering the pork fat to sauté the aromatics adds depth without extra oil and uses the whole cut economically. The guajillo chiles provide authentic barbacoa flavor with mild heat—toast them lightly before adding if you want more complexity. Pressure cooking cuts the time to 45 minutes versus 2-3 hours in a Dutch oven, but both methods yield fall-apart tender meat. Portion into 2-cup containers before freezing for easy thawing—each container becomes dinner for two in under 20 minutes. The cooking liquid reduces into a rich sauce; don't discard it. This recipe scales easily and the per-serving cost drops significantly when pork shoulder goes on sale.
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