Tacos Árabes with Marinated Pork

Ingredients

• 1 lb pork shoulder or butt, boneless
• 3 tbsp lime juice
• 3 whole garlic cloves, minced
• 1 whole yellow onion, sliced
• 8 whole flour tortillas (6-inch)
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Instructions

1. 1

   Place the pork on a cutting board and slice it against the grain (the direction the muscle fibers run) into thin strips about 1/8-inch thick, as if cutting deli meat. This makes the pork tender and cook quickly.

2. 2

   In a small bowl, stir together the lime juice, minced garlic, and 1 teaspoon of salt with a spoon until the salt dissolves. Taste it — it should be bright, garlicky, and salty.

3. 3

   Place the pork strips in a shallow bowl or on a plate and pour the lime mixture over them, stirring with your hands to coat every piece evenly. Let sit at room temperature while you prepare the onions.

4. 4

   Peel the yellow onion, leaving the root end attached. Slice it lengthwise from root to tip into thin half-moons about 1/8-inch wide. Place the slices in a separate bowl.

5. 5

   Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until the oil shimmers and slides quickly when you tilt the pan, about 90 seconds.

6. 6

   Add all the marinated pork strips and spread them in a single layer across the bottom of the skillet without stirring. Cook for 2 minutes until the bottom edges turn golden brown and a sizzle sound is constant.

7. 7

   Stir the pork with a wooden spoon or spatula until all pieces are mixed throughout. Continue cooking, stirring every 30 seconds, until no pink remains inside any piece and the edges look charred, about 5–6 minutes total.

8. 8

   Push the cooked pork to the side of the skillet (to the left or right). Pour 1 tablespoon of olive oil into the empty space and add the sliced onions.

9. 9

   Stir the onions constantly with a wooden spoon for 6–8 minutes until they soften, turn translucent, and develop brown caramelized edges. The color should deepen to golden amber.

10. 10

    Stir the cooked pork back into the onions and mix everything together over medium heat for 1 minute. Taste and add more salt or lime juice if needed.

11. 11

    Warm the flour tortillas one at a time directly over a gas flame (if you have one) for 10 seconds per side until they blister slightly, or wrap all of them in a damp towel and microwave for 45 seconds until they feel warm.

12. 12

    Lay a warm tortilla flat on a plate and spoon 2–3 tablespoons of the pork-and-onion mixture into the center in a small heap.

13. 13

    Scatter 1 teaspoon of fresh chopped cilantro on top of the filling in each taco.

14. 14

    Fold the tortilla in half around the filling, or leave it flat and eat it with your hands. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.

Tools you’ll need

• cutting board
• chef's knife
• small bowl (for lime marinade)
• shallow bowl or plate (for marinating pork)
• 12-inch skillet
• wooden spoon or silicone spatula
• microwave or gas stove

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