Paleo-Style Mexican Pulled Pork

Ingredients

• 2 Anaheim chile peppers
• 3 pounds boneless pork shoulder
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons bacon fat
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 1 onion, halved and sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and sliced
• 1 lime, juiced
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon chili powder
• ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• Toppings:
• 2 ripe avocados, sliced
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 limes, quartered

Step 1

Position your oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheating the broiler. Line a baking sheet with foil. Slice the Anaheim peppers in half lengthwise, remove the stems, seeds, and ribs, then place them cut-side down on the baking sheet. Pop them under the broiler until the skin is blackened and blistered, which usually takes around 5 to 8 minutes. Once done, transfer the peppers to a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let them steam and cool for about 20 minutes before peeling off the skins and roughly chopping the flesh.

Step 2

Season the pork all over with salt and pepper. Heat some bacon fat in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then brown the pork on all sides, about 3 minutes per side. Once browned, move the pork to your slow cooker. Pour in the beef broth and spread tomato paste over the meat. Add the roasted peppers, chopped onion, red and yellow bell peppers, lime juice, garlic, cumin, oregano, chili powder, cayenne, and a bay leaf.

Step 3

Set the slow cooker to low and let everything cook until the pork is tender enough to shred easily, usually about 8 hours. When it’s ready, shred the meat with two forks. Serve it up with some fresh avocado slices, cilantro, and lime wedges for squeezing.