Pork Belly Tacos with Smokey Salsa and Avocado Cream

Yes, you read that correctly. Pork belly tacos!!! Pork belly simmered in a fragrant broth and then seared until crispy. Served as most delicious meats should, in a taco! Of course with the most insane smokey salsa, pickled red onions and avocado cream.

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I have been looking forward to this week for a good 2 months. You may not have noticed, but it’s been a while since I posted. I will explain more below. But at any rate, this is the week I get to share with you my first experience cooking with pork belly and what I did with it. I mean, obviously tacos but how I arrived to this crispy yet tender taco and why the salsa is basically crack. Suh. Excited!

It all Starts at the Farm Store

I was at my local farm store rummaging through their frozen butchered meat. They were having a sale so obvs. I love a good farm store because you can find all the things that you’ll never see at the grocery store. Smoked pork chops, cow’s heart, goose, and pigs feet just to name a few. During my carnivorous exploration of said freezer unit, I stumbled upon 2 glorious pounds of pork belly. “My gawd! I love me some pork belly!” But never have I bought some and then cooked it.

Challenge accepted.

Leads to the dutch oven

Now research time. How do people cook pork belly? Do they just sear it? Do they roast it? Obviously, there’s bacon but I didn’t feel quite ready for that culinary challenge. What I found to be a common cooking method was simmering in a seasoned stock for at least an hour. This makes the pork belly super tender and flavorful.

Ok. Cool! Simmer.

I knew off that bat that I wanted to eat pork belly tacos. Like now! So I gathered some chipotles, garlic, onion, oregano and cinnamon sticks and got to work in my dutch oven. After searing the pork in some pork fat, I added all my ingredients along with some stock and let it simmer away for an hour.

The result? Super tender, very flavorful pork belly. Except it needed a crunch.

And ends at pork belly tacos

Into the tapioca starch you go! I knew searing the tender pork belly would crisp it up, but dusting it with a little tapioca starch would add crunch. And I need crunch! Always.

These babies were ready to be pork belly tacos.

Next, I strained out all the leftover onions, garlic, and chipotle from the simmering broth, tossed them in a blender with fresh tomatoes and a little salt. Omg, the best salsa I have ever made. Smokey, rich, and savory while also being very fresh from the uncooked tomatoes. The absolute best with chilaquiles the next morning btw.

In conclusion, the combo of this miracle sauce along with a simple avocado cream, some pickled onions, and cilantro made one killer pork belly taco. The only down side is they didn’t go as far as I had hoped. Need. More. Pork belly tacos!!!

And after tacos there’s real life

So onto my excitement for the week. I love my 5 year old very much, but she is at an age where she wants constant interaction. Since she’s been home for the summer, my time has been swallowed up into the bottomless pit that is her ceaseless imagination. The questions are endless!!!

So why I have been looking forward to THIS week? Because Willow is away at summer camp! It’s only day camp but it’s like all day. Days full of horse back riding, rock climbing, and swimming has knocked all the endless need for attention right out of her. If anything she just wants to be left alone at the end of the day followed by an early and easy bedtime. Hallelujah!

Just can’t get a break!

I had dreams about all the blog posts and photoshoots I would accomplish this week. And yet, it is Friday and this is the first time I’ve sat down to spend an iota of a second on this blog. Between doing restaurant photography for a client and the day I was completely knocked off my feet from a tetanus shot, my time has gotten away from me. As usual.

This pork belly taco recipe I created and shot this Spring! Seriously! It’s just been sitting here. But I’m glad to finally share it with you because it is freaking delicious.

I really hope to find some balance this summer. I have been dying to share with you this chocolate chia pudding recipe I have been making for months. It will knock your socks off! But truth be told, we are closing on a house next week, going on vacation, and then getting ready for another baby girl to join our family.

Le sigh!

Luckily, there is nothing to complain about. Life is abundant and blossoming for me. And for that I could not be more grateful. I will gladly ride the waves knowing that in the future I most certainly will have more time to be here.

Taco time!

Ok, I left you my recipe below for these beautiful pork belly tacos. Now, are you up to the challenge to make these babies? Check out your local farm store or give your butcher a call to find some nice pork belly. That crispy crackle and savory salsa is so worth it!

When you make these pork belly tacos, let me know! I absolutely love seeing your photos of POP KITCHEN recipes up on Instagram . Like POP KITCHEN on Facebook and follow along with all of my recipe inspiration on Pinterest ! Oh, and can you tell your friends about me? K, thanks, luh ew, bye!

MORE TACO RECIPES

Smoked Rainbow Trout Tacos

Carnitas Meatball Tacos

Shrimp Lettuce Wraps

Recipe

Pork Belly Tacos with Smokey Salsa and Avocado Cream

Ingredients

2-2.5 lbs pork belly cut into 3”x1½” slices
1 tsp sea salt
1 Tbsp coconut sugar (optional)
1 tsp cumin
¼ tsp black pepper
1 large white onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, whole
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
2½ cups chicken stock
1 cinnamon stick
2 bay leaves
1 tsp dried oregano
1 chipotle, canned in adobo sauce (or 2-3 depending how much spice you like)
½ cup tapioca starch
Oil for searing (avocado, coconut, grapeseed or pure olive oil)
3 medium tomatoes, cored and cut into large pices
¼ tsp salt
Reserved onions, garlic, and chipotle from the simmer broth
2 avocados
1 lime
Salt to taste
1 red onoin, thinly sliced into half moons
½ cup apple cider vinegar
½ tsp coconut sugar
½ tsp salt
1 cup warm water
Corn tortillas
Cilantro

Instructions

There is a lot of excess fat on pork belly. It’s supposed to be there! But there will also be enough to cut off about ¼ cup worth. Dice the excess fat into cubes and render or melt the fat in a dutch oven over medium high heat. Meanwhile, toss the strips of pork belly with the sea salt, coconut sugar, cumin and black pepper in a bowl.
Using 2 Tbsp of the rendered fat, sear all sides of the pork belly over medium high heat until golden brown and set aside.
Add the onions and garlic to the pan and cook until the onions start to get soft. Pour in the apple cider vinegar and using a wooden spoon scrape the bottom of the pan (this is called deglazing) to get all the little bits unstuck from the bottom. Put the pork back in the pot along with the stock and bring to a boil. Add the bay leaves, cinnamon, oregano, and chipotle, cover, and reduce heat down to a simmer for 1 hour. Remove the pork belly to cool and strain out the onions, garlic, and chipotle pepper and set aside.
Heat a large frying pan or cast iron skillet with your oil of choice over medium high heat. Toss the pork belly in the tapioca starch and sear all sides until lightly brown and crispy. Serve pork belly in warmed tortillas with salsa, avocado cream, and pickled onions.
In a blender, combine the fresh tomatoes with the salt, reserved onions, garlic, and chipotle and puree until smooth.
In a food processor or with an immersion blender, puree the avocado with a good pinch of salt and 2 tbsp lime juice. It should be smooth and creamy and have a bit of tang to it.
In a pint size mason jar or container that can hold 2 cups, dissolve the salt and sugar in the warm water. Add the vinegar and onions and allow to sit for 20 minutes to 1 hour. Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.