Taquitos are a traditional Mexican dish consisting of rolled-up tortillas filled with meat, cheese, or veggies. They are then fried until crunchy. Here, we fill flour tortillas with pulled pork and then oven-fry them to get that satisfying crunch in each bite. The Taquitos are served with tomatoey-taco spiced dipping sauce, sour cream, and fresh cilantro.
Before you start the meal let’s talk about the ingredients. The best thing about this meal is that it’s simple. The most typical cut for making pulled pork is the pork shoulder.
The pork shoulder is the entire front leg and shoulder of a Pig. When shopping I would buy the Jack Daniel’s Pulled Pork with Jack Daniel’s BBQ Sauce, 16 oz. You can get a nice amount at $8 a pound.
Key to this meal:
The key to this meal is the filling. First you heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium skillet over medium-high. Add peppers and about 90% of the onions. Let it cook for a little bit. Don’t forget to keep stirring. Should take about 5 minutes or until there softened and golden brown. Add pulled pork and half of the chopped garlic; cook, breaking up pork with a spoon. We don’t want dry pork so stir in ½ cup water; simmer, scraping up browned bits, 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Brief History of the Taquitos
We can thank wikipedia for this history lesson. ‘Two Southern California restaurants are often given credit for their roles in the early development of the taquito. Cielito Lindo was founded by Aurora Guerrero in 1934 and located on Olvera Street in Los Angeles. Guerrero’s daughter used her taquito recipe in opening chain restaurants in Los Angeles, and soon competitors were selling similar dishes. In San Diego, what would become El Indio Mexican Restaurant began selling taquitos during World War II, when tortilla factory owner Ralph Pesqueria, Sr., was asked by workers at the Consolidated Aircraft Company factory across the street for a portable lunch item.”
WINE PAIRING
GRENACHE
Pork is a tough wine to pair. Grenache isn’t considered a full-bodied wine, while pork has less umami than beef. These two medium flavors go extremely well together. Garnacha is one of the most widely planted red wine grape varieties in the world. It ripens late, so it needs hot, dry conditions such as those found in Spain. Grenache has red fruit characteristics that will boost the flavor of the pork.
TIPS FOR COOKING PORK
Lightly coat pork with vegetable oil to keep it from drying out during cooking.
Before roasting pork, sear all sides to create a flavorful crust on the surface of the meat.
Do not overcrowd pork cuts when cooking. Leaving space between them will allow them to brown and cook more evenly.
Oven-Fried Pulled Pork Taquito with Taco Sauce & Cheddar
Here, we fill flour tortillas with pulled pork and then oven-fry them to get that satisfying crunch in each bite.
- 2 pkts sour cream
- ¼ oz fresh cilantro
- 8 oz can tomato sauce
- taco seasoning (use 2¼ tsp)
- 6 6-inch flour tortillas
- ½ lb pulled pork
- garlic (use 2 large cloves)
- 2 pieces sharp cheddar
- 1 poblano pepper
- 1 medium red onion
- kosher salt & ground pepper
- neutral oil
- Prep ingredients: Preheat oven to 425°F with a rack in the upper third. Finely chop onion. Halve poblano pepper, discard stem and seeds, then finely chop. Finely chop all of the cheddar. Finely chop 2 teaspoons garlic. Generously oil a rimmed baking sheet. Using your fingers, break pulled pork up into bite-size pieces.
- Cook filling: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium skillet over medium-high. Add peppers and all but 2 tablespoons of the onions; cook, stirring, until softened and golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add pulled pork and half of the chopped garlic; cook, breaking up pork with a spoon. Stir in ½ cup water; simmer, scraping up browned bits, 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Assemble flautas: Place tortillas on a work surface; spoon about ⅓ cup of the pork filling onto one half of each tortilla, and spread to a 4- x1-inch rectangle. Top with some of the cheese, then roll tightly, starting at the filled side of the tortilla. Place flautas on prepared baking sheet, seam side down. Wipe out skillet and reserve for step 5.
- Bake flautas: Generously brush tops and sides of flautas with oil. Bake on upper oven rack until golden brown and crispy, 15–20 minutes (watch closely as ovens vary).
- Make taco sauce: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in reserved skillet over medium-high. Add 2¼ teaspoons taco seasoning and remaining chopped garlic; cook, stirring, until garlic is sizzling, about 1 minute. Stir in tomato sauce and ½ cup water, and bring to a boil. Simmer over medium heat until sauce is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Finish & serve: Coarsely chop cilantro leaves and stems together. In a small bowl, thin all of the sour cream by adding 1 teaspoon water as needed. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve flautas topped with some of the taco sauce, sour cream, remaining chopped onions, and cilantro. Serve remaining taco sauce on the side, for dipping.
NUTRITION PER SERVING
Calories 960kcal, Fat 55.0g, Proteins 42.0g, Carbs 74.0g
ALLERGENS
Milk and Wheat. May contain traces of other allergens. Packaged in a facility that packages gluten containing products.
