With Father’s Day coming up soon, I thought it would be fun to dedicate my first blog post on the new website to the man, the myth and the legend—Big Daddy. For those of you who’ve been around for my various blog sites over the years, you already know that I think Big Daddy is the bomb! And for those of you who are new to the site, I think Big Daddy is the bomb!
Not only is he an awesome and compliant husband, he’s a great dad. One of my favorite memories is watching him tend to our boys when they were babies. Since he worked a lot, the nighttime routine was his time to spend with Luke and Matt (aka Big Mony Merchandice and National Big Swirlee.) After dinner, Big Daddy would give them their baths and dress them for bed. He must have read The Going To Bed Book to them ten thousand times. By the time Big Swirlee was three-years-old, we could recite the entire book from memory. Now that our boys are in middle school, gone are those sweet memories. Today, the three stooges—Moe, Larry and Gassy—are all about video games, basketball, football and American Ninja Warrior.
I really appreciate everything Big Daddy does for our family. He works hard, so the least I can do is cook the man something he really wants to eat. Father’s Day is not the day to remind him of dietary restrictions. Father’s Day is all about man food. Big, bold flavors that are fried, barbecued or smoked. On Father’s Day at this house, pork is king. Since I’m not authorized to use the smoker, and I want Big Daddy to chill on his day, I’ll slow-roast a pork butt in the oven. The prep work can be done the day before, and the next day, I’ll just slide the butt in the oven to roast low and slow, while the kids play video games and I remind Big Daddy how I made Father’s Day possible for him. Wink. Wink.
Although Father’s Day isn’t the day to test out a recipe from Cooking Light or Eating Well, I do need to make sure Big Daddy gets in some fruits and veggies. He requested tacos, so I figure a chunky pico de gallo is the best way to get in the good stuff without ruining the party. Adding peaches to the mix will balance the spiciness in the salsa, and everyone will be happy.
Let me know when you make this recipe. Take a picture and hashtag it #QUEENCITYKITCHEN. I can’t wait to see what you post!
Slow-Roasted Pork Tacos with Peach Pico de Gallo
Makes 16 servings
Pork
1 tablespoon cumin
1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon coarse-ground pepper
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon coriander
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 (3-4 pound) pork shoulder, trimmed and patted dry
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 medium white onion, cut into chunks
1 poblano peppers, seeded and chopped 1 jalapeno, halved and seeded
2 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
½ cup chicken stock
Salsa
3 Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
2 ripe peaches, peeled, pitted and chopped
½ cup finely chopped red onion
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 serrano peppers, seeded and finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon coarse-ground pepper
16 (6-inch) flour tortillas, warmed
Garnish
Napa cabbage, shredded
Queso fresco, crumbled
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F,
Mix the cumin, salt, pepper, cinnamon, coriander and cayenne in a small bowl until combined. Rub the spice mixture all over the pork. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over high heat, and brown the meat on all sides, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the pork to a plate.
Reduce the heat to medium-high, and add the onions, peppers and garlic. Cook until tender, about 7 minutes. Pour in the stock, scraping up the bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Place the pork on top of the vegetables, pouring any juice from the platter into the pot. Top with a piece of parchment paper, cut to fit the pot. Cover with a tight-fitting lid. Transfer the pork to the oven and cook until the meat is very tender, 2 ½ to 3 hours.
Meanwhile prepare the pico de gallo. Mix the tomatoes, peaches, onion, peppers, garlic, honey, lime juice, salt and pepper in a medium bowl until combined. Cover and let sit at room temperature until ready to use.
Remove the pork from the oven and preheat the broiler. Place the rack 8-inches below the heating element. Transfer the pork to a baking sheet and broil until crisp, about 10 minutes. Let the pork rest for 10 minutes. Remove the bone and pull the meat apart with 2 forks.
To assemble the tacos, top each tortilla with pork, pico de gallo, cabbage and queso fresco.