A Tropical Taco loaded with Pork cooked in Coconut Milk and Pineapple Juice, topped with a Mango-Pineapple Salsa, crunchy Red Cabbage, and golden Toasted Coconut!
And just like that I feel like Spring is near! I know parts of the country are still covered in sheets of snow, (and expecting more!), but right now, I have never been happier to be the heck out of New England. It has been in the high 50’s, low 60’s and mostly Sunny, every single day for the last two weeks. Its glorious.
No more coats or winter boots, It actually SMELLS like Spring outside. And yes, it does have a smell.
Being able to get outside for a run, or take my kids to the park during the afternoon when we’re all starting to go a little nutty. It’s the best. And being able to do it without layers and layers of clothing, priceless. Needless to say it’s getting pretty Springy around these parts.
Pink, yellow, and teal are already gracing my home. Oh, Hi Easter! In my head I’m skipping completely over St Patty’s Day. I know it’s pathetic. My husbands mostly Irish, so there will be corned beef and cabbage, there will be Irish soda bread, and there will be beer. But after that, gimme gimme all the candy and the eggs.
Because just like every other holiday, Easter is SO much more magical with young kids!
I’ve already started talking the Easter Bunny up a bit..my son is so obsessed with Lightening McQueen and Dusty right now, he could careless. But just WAIT for the candy..he sure will care then. (Then maybe he’ll start waking up every morning and telling me its Easter. Like hes been doing for 2 1/2 months, about Christmas!) And he totally Jedi-mind tricks me about these things too.
Does anyone else get completely sucked into the Target dollar section? I buy all the things. I mean, IT’S ONLY A DOLLAR! Well my almost 3 year old, (Whatttt!! 3!!!), now gets it, and convinces me to buy HIM everything, because IT’S ONLY A DOLLAR. I wish I was kidding.
We came home yesterday, and my husband asked me what the occasion was. He had a whole bag of new goodies for himself. (And a few things he picked out for his brother. Seriously, SO thoughtful, always.) Exactly one week after we unpacked the 18 boxes for their playroom, (yes, 18), and promised each other no more toys for them until his birthday. We already had to hide some that hadn’t been used yet to give to them later. So many toys.
But yah, the dollar section at Target, shows no mercy.
Taco Talk! These are light, and pretty, and Springy, and SO GOOD. My husband dubbed them the best Tacos he’s tried yet. And that’s kind of huge coming from him. He’s can be a picky eater..though he will never admit to that. Pain in my arse sometimes, but thankfully, he’ll usually eat whatever the heck I put down in front of him. Then thank me for it. 😉
But seriously, there is so much going on with these Tacos, but they’re SO easy. Throw the pork in the slow cooker for the day. When it’s almost ready, make your salsa, toast your coconut, and saute your cabbage..for 3 minutes! Such a great weeknight meal, for its ease and for its flavor! Spring is almost here, let’s embrace it with tropical tacos!
A Tropical Taco loaded with Pork cooked in Coconut Milk and Pineapple Juice, topped with a Mango-Pineapple Salsa, crunchy Red Cabbage, and golden Toasted Coconut!
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 3 teaspoons cumin
- 3 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 shallot, sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 1/2 pounds pork shoulder
- 14 ounces light coconut milk
- 2/3 cup 100% pineapple juice (see notes below)
- 2 cups shredded red cabbage
- 1 mango, sliced into small chunks
- 15 ounce can pineapple chunks (use the juice for the pork above)
- 1/2 jalapeno, seeded and minced
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 3 Tablespoons lime juice
- 1/2 cup shredded coconut flakes, toasted
- 8 tortillas
Directions
- In a small bowl, combine the paprika, cumin, chili powder, oregano, salt and pepper. Stir to mix evenly.
- In the bottom of the slow cooker, place the sliced shallot and garlic.
- Place the pork shoulder on top of them. Pour half the spice rub on the pork, and massage it in. Flip the pork, and rub in the remaining spice mixture. End with the fat side up.
- Pour the coconut milk and pineapple juice in, and around the pork.
- Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours.
- When the pork is ready, reduce the heat to 'Keep Warm'.
- To make the salsa, in a medium sized bowl, combine the mango, pineapple, jalapeno, cilantro, and lime juice. Toss to coat and set aside.
- In a medium size skillet over medium heat, add the shredded cabbage, and about a 1/4 cup of the juice from the slow cooker. Saute for 3-4 minutes, until the cabbage just starts to soften. Remove and set aside.
- To toast the coconut, heat a small, dry skillet over medium heat and add the shredded coconut in an even layer. Cook until mostly golden brown, tossing often so you don't burn it. Remove from heat.
- Remove the pork from the slow cooker to a cutting board, and using two forks, pull in opposite directions, shred it, removing the fat as you go, and adding the meat back to the slow cooker and all its great juices!
- To assemble the tacos, add the pork, followed by the red cabbage, a scoop of the salsa, and a sprinkling of the toasted coconut. Serve and Swoon!
Notes
For the pineapple juice, I just bought a 15 ounce can of pineapple chunks, used the juice to cook the pork, (measure out to about 2/3 cup) and used the pineapple chunks in the salsa!