What Can I Make with Pork and Tortilla?

Almost every great pork taco is built on the same two-stage technique: cook the meat slowly until the collagen has broken down and it is completely tender, then crisp the outside hard right before it goes in the tortilla. Carnitas is the clearest example — pork shoulder simmered in its own fat until it falls apart, then pressed into a hot pan until the edges brown and crunch. Skip the second stage and you have a soft, one-note filling; skip the first and the meat is tough.

That two-stage approach exists because pork shoulder is full of connective tissue. Collagen needs sustained moderate heat to convert into gelatin, and that gelatin is what makes shredded pork feel rich and moist. Once it has happened, the meat can take a very hard sear without drying out, which is where the texture comes from.

Al pastor works differently and borrows from elsewhere. The technique arrived in Mexico with Lebanese immigrants and their vertical spits, and the marinade is built on dried chillies, achiote and pineapple. Pineapple contains bromelain, an enzyme that breaks down protein, which tenderises the pork — and it is also why al pastor marinades are not left overnight, since given long enough that enzyme turns the surface mushy.

Acid finishes the job in every version. Pork is fatty, and salsa, citrus or charred pineapple cuts through it. The tortilla, warmed and pliable, holds a filling that has to be chopped small enough to eat without a knife.

Custrd matches the pork and tortillas you have against tested recipes and shows what else each one needs.