Hands down, one of our favorite family recipes, Southwestern dish, Mexican Shredded Pork or Beef has it all. Flavor, as much or as little heat as you want, and a lot of versatility. Make Tacos, Tostadas, or Burritos, just to get started. Best of all, Mexican Shredded Pork or Beef is super easy; braise it in the oven or use the slow cooker.
Shredded Pork Shoulder
I mentioned this is a family favorite. I’ve been making it for literally decades for the fam and have taken it to potlucks or food days at work. Check out this recipe card. It’s a good thing I’ve pretty much memorized it, lol!
There are five little stars in the upper left corner. That’s how I rate recipes everyone loves that I know I’ll make a lot. I provide a more detailed explanation of how I utilize my rating system in Menu Planning 101.
If you couldn’t already tell this is a favorite, you can still see my “five stars” at the top!
What Meat Should I Use for Mexican Shredded Pork or Beef:
Obviously Pork or Beef, but choose cuts that have some fat so the meat cooks down to luscious shreds.
- For Beef: Use a chuck roast or brisket, but be aware that brisket can be pricy in most of the country.
- For Pork: Any cut from the shoulder, bonus if it’s bone-in.
Let’s Talk About Flavor & Heat:
Mexican Shredded Pork or Beef is jumping with flavor. You’ll notice right away that this has five different kinds of peppers/chiles. Don’t let that scare you away; this isn’t overly hot, just flavorful.
Peppers and chiles aren’t just about heat; they’re about flavor, too. If you wish to adjust the heat upfront, either reduce or increase the amounts of all or any of each type of pepper or chile. That will leave you with the deepest range of flavor.
Once the pork or beef is cooked, you’ll be left with a dark, almost jammy sauce. The meat will be beautifully flavored with a more subtle nuance; the heat lies in the sauce.
- If you use the oven, after defatting, you may need to add a bit of water to make the sauce the right consistency.
- If using the slow cooker, again, after defatting, what’s left might need to be reduced a bit.
It’s easy to make an adjustment in the flavor by mixing a little or a lot of that jammy saucy goodness into the shredded protein to taste, and then pass the rest of the sauce at the table.
The sauce makes a fabulous salsa to top your finished dish, whether you’ve chosen to use the pork or beef, whether it’s tacos, burritos, tostadas, or whatever strikes your fancy. (Did I just say that? How OLD am I, lol…strikes your fancy…indeed.)
This is the jammy sauce
Other Toppings:
Any toppings you want to use with your Mexican Shredded Pork or Beef are variable. Make it your own. Cheese, sour cream, tomato, lettuce, etc., but IMHO, lime is a must-have condiment…it brightens the whole dish.
Making Mexican Shredded Pork or Beef:
This recipe follows a standard format. Brown the protein, remove it, add the onions, then the garlic, then toast the spices in the onion mixture before dumping everything else, along with the browned meat, back in. Then toss it in the oven to slowly braise or transfer it to the slow cooker. Easy peasy.
Oven Braising will give those roasted, darkened bits, but you can’t beat the slow cooker for a hands-off meal. If you’re going to take this somewhere, whether you use the oven or slow cooker, it’s best to finish the dish and then transfer it to the slow cooker to keep warm at your function.
Before serving, allow a little extra time to rest & shred the meat and defat the sauce. The fat can be spooned or drained off. Quick tip: pour and/orscrape the sauce into a container. Place in the fridge or the freezer. The fat will rise to the top, harden in the cold, and be easy to remove.
This is Pork Shoulder just out of the oven – bad pic, but it shows the makings of the “sauce”
Saving Money on Groceries:
What you pay for groceries depends not only on WHERE you shop, but WHEN. Be strategic and stock up at rock-bottom prices.
- The best sales are before holidays; check out Win at the Grocers. Use these sales not just for your holiday, but to stock up at a low for the coming weeks to months.
- Take advantage of discount stores like Aldi or Lidl. The pricing at Buyer’s clubs is not always the lowest, but can trump in quality; be selective.
The best way to save money on this or any recipe is to have a well-stocked pantry, fridge, and freezer full of sale-priced items.
Saving on Mexican Shredded Pork or Beef:
My family can’t seem to stop eating this dish! The more there is, the more they want! Here’s how to stay in budget and stretch it:
- Pork Shoulder is the budget option.
- Take part of the dish before serving and place it in the fridge or freezer for other meals.
- Serve it with budget-minded sides like Refried Beans and Mexican Rice.
- Serve it as tacos with smaller tortillas (either flour or corn) or tostadas rather than larger burritos.
I hope you guys enjoy this old-school family Southwestern version of Mexican Shredded Pork or Beef. It’s really minimal effort for maximum payoff! Take care, and I hope to see you next time – and I’d be delighted if you follow me!
Mollie
Mexican Shredded Pork or Beef – this is the Pork version
Mexican Shredded Pork or Beef
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: varies by method
- Total Time: varies, several hours or more in slow cooker
- Yield: 8 to 16 1x
- Category: Main Dish Beef
- Cuisine: Mexican or Southwestern
Ingredients
- 1 3 to 3 1/2 pound pork or beef roast, shoulder or chuck is best, go larger if you wish *
- 1 – 2 tablespoons oil (plus extra for your tortillas)
- 2 large onions, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 15 – 16 ounce can of whole tomatoes with juice, broken up
- 1 small can green chiles, diced
- 1 – 3 jalapenos, seeded and diced (I like to use two, depending on size)
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons chile pequin (or red chile flakes)
- 1 teaspoon ground cayenne
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- water as needed for pan
Instructions
In a large ovenproof skillet or Dutch oven, brown meat on all sides in 1 tablespoon of oil, remove meat from pan. Add onions to pan with a little more oil if necessary. When translucent, add garlic and spices and cook for a moment longer until fragrant, stirring often.
Add the tomatoes and juice, and green chilis, stir well, scraping up from the bottom, then add the roast (and any drippings) back to the pan. Spoon the sauce over the roast, cover with a tight-fitting lid or foil and bake at 325 degrees for about two and a half to three and half hours. The roast is done when it’s fork tender and easily shredded.
During the cooking process, check at about two hours and again around three to make certain there is still enough moisture in the pan, and add a little water if necessary. All those goodies in the bottom of the pan are going to make your sauce, and depending on how big your pan is and how much fat content there is in the roast, the amount of liquid can vary.
When the roast is done, remove it from the pan, pour the sauce into a container and skim off any fat. You may need to add a bit of water to the drippings to make them a loose, jammy consistency. Shred the roast and add some of the sauce if you wish and toss with the meat, saving some sauce to pass on the side for serving.
Slow Cooker Instructions:
This can be made in a slow cooker. Prepare as above, but to cook, transfer to a slow cooker and cook on high four to five hours or low for about seven to 10 hours or overnight. The sauce will not be as thick as oven braising. After defatting simmer, if desired, for a few minutes to reduce sauce to a loose, jammy consistency.
Makes about four to five cups of shredded meat and about 1 1/2 cups sauce.
Tortillas:
The easiest way I’ve found to get a good crunchy tortilla for a Tostada is to fry quickly in a small amount of hot oil in a nonstick pan that’s just a bit larger than the tortilla. I add the oil to a layer of about 1/4 inch, heat, lay in a tortilla, turn it over right away. As soon as one side is nearly golden brown, turn it back over and cook the other side for a bit longer.
They’ll darken a bit more and crisp when you take them out. Personally, I don’t like them hard all the way through, but like a little crisp with a touch of chewiness. Drain well and shake off the excess oil when you remove it from the pan. This can be done a bit ahead but is the best right before serving.
Kitchen & Cooking Hack: