Cider Braised Pork Tacos with Roasted Squash, Brussel Sprout Slaw, and Cranberry Hot Sauce

This recipe is brought to you by Old El Paso

This time of year, Pumpkin Spice isn’t the only flavor that defines the season. I can’t get enough of all the seasonal veggies that are in abundance this time of year, so I made a taco with all the flavors you want from an Autumn feast.

The pork is braised until meltingly tender in a cider mixture with a few spices that make the apple and pork flavors pop. Some crispy squash and sharp cojita cheese are next. Then a slaw made from crunchy brussel sprouts.

The kicker here though is the homemade hot sauce that features tart cranberries and spicy jalapenos! The recipe makes plenty to keep on hand the whole month for all your hot sauce needs.

Saute the squash to get a nice brown color. These almost act like potatoes in the taco.

Shred the brussel sprouts and add lime juice and chile flakes.

The pork cooks in 3 types of cider for a few hours until it is super tender.

The cranberry hot sauce is tart, spicy, and the perfect topping for these tacos!

When you make a dish like this will all seasonal ingredients at just the right time of the year, the flavors totally hit the spot.

The pork has just enough of a hint of cinnamon to give the whole dish a warming feel, and the spicy cranberry sauce drives it home.

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Cider Braised Pork Tacos with Roasted Squash, Brussel Sprout Slaw, and Cranberry Hot Sauce

All the flavors of the harvest season in delicious tacos. The cranberry hot sauce stays in the fridge all month to give every meal an extra seasonal kick.

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time3 hours hrs

Total Time3 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Mexican, Tex-Mex

Keyword: Mash-Up, Taco

Servings: 10 tacos

Ingredients

Pork and marinade

• 2 pounds pork shoulder cut into large chunks
• 2 cups apple cider
• 12 ounces hard cider
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 3 cloves garlic diced
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 pinch clove
• salt and pepper

Cranberry Hot Sauce

• 12 ounces cranberries
• 6 jalapenos
• 1/4 cup diced onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons red vinegar
• 1/4 cup water
• salt and pepper
• 2 limes

Squash

• 2 cups cubed squash
• 2 tablespoons butter
• salt and pepper

Sprout Slaw

• 1 pound brussel sprouts
• 3 limes
• 1 teaspoon chile flakes
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• salt and pepper

Finish

• 10 Old El Paso Flour Tortillas for Soft Tacos
• 4 ounces cojita cheese crumbled

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 325. Put all of the pork ingredients into a baking dish.
• Bake for about 2 1/2 hours, stirring and flipping occasionally, until the pork is tender.
• Remove from heat and shred the pork in the juices.
• Heat some oil in a small sauce pan to make the hot sauce and add the onion and jalapeno. Saute for 5 minutes.
• Add in the cranberries, garlic, honey, vinegar, water, and salt and pepper. Simmer for a half hour.
• Remove from heat and squeeze in the limes. Blend until smooth. Set aside.
• Mix all the slaw ingredients and set aside.
• Put the butter in a frying pan to melt. Saute the squash in the butter until browned on all sides and tender in the middle, about 20 minutes.
• Finally, build the tacos. Heat up the tortillas either in the microwave or in a frying pan or cast iron skillet over high heat.
• Next, top with some of the meat, then cheese, then squash, then slaw, and finally the cranberry hot sauce. Serve immediately.