Festive foods take on new meaning when made with serious beer. And who doesn’t like pulled pork tacos, especially when they’re made with the right IPA?
This tasty recipe is served at The Propagator, Firestone Walker’s hot-rod brewhouse in Venice, California. And it uses Firestone’s Mind Haze Tiki Smash IPA, a 6.2% ABV hops and coconut variation of the brewery’s Mind Haze India Pale Ale which is currently available as part of the Mind Haze Tropical Hazy Mixed Pack.
“Mind Haze Tiki Smash IPA works perfectly with this dish,” says Executive Chef Bryan Aceves. “The coconut and pineapple work harmoniously and the spice from the salsa cuts the fat from the pork—making this a great pairing for good eats!”
“Mind Haze was painstakingly developed at The Propagator over many test batches,” says Propagator Brewing Manager, Sam Tierney. “Now comes Tiki Smash, which takes the tropical, juicy profile of the original and elevates things with a new hop blend and the addition of toasted shredded coconut. The coconut and tropical fruit juice flavors pair perfectly with spicy and sweet foods like our Taproom pork tacos with pineapple salsa, where the coconut adds layers of complexity with each sip.”
So let’s do this!
Firestone Mind Haze Tiki Smash IPA Pulled Pork Tacos
(Makes 12 Tacos)
Assembly: Warm up Tortillas in a pan or open fire stove/grill, place pork (recipe below) on the tortillas.
Top with Salsa Verde, Pineapple Pico & Pickled Onions (recipe below).
Garnish with Queso Fresco & Cilantro.
Spice Rub
Ingredients
- Ground Cumin- 1 Tbs.
- Medium Chili Powder- 1 Tbs.
- Cayenne Powder- 1tsp.
- Dry Mexican Oregano- 2 tsp.
- Brown Sugar- – 1 tsp.
- Black Pepper- 2 Tbs.
- Garlic Powder- 2 Tbs.
- Onion Powder- 2 Tbs.
- Paprika-2 Tbs.
- Kosher Salt 2 Tbs.
Preparation
- Mix all ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
Pulled Pork
Ingredients
- Pork Butt -2 lbs.
- Spice Rub- See recipe
- Mind Haze Tiki Smash IPA- 1 Can
- Apple Cider Vinegar- 2 Tbs.
- Coca Cola- ½ Can
- Bay Leaves- 1 each
- Oranges- 1 each
Preparation
- Cut Pork Butt into 3 inch cubes.
- Place the pork in a bowl and mix with the pork rub.
- Add beer, apple cider vinegar, coca cola & bay leaves. Squeeze oranges and place the peel in with the pork. Mix to fully incorporate ingredients and place in a braising pan.
- Set oven to 300 degrees, cover the pan with foil & cook for 7 hours.
- Remove from the oven and remove the foil. Allow the pork to cool for 30 minutes.
- Drain some of the liquid and remove the orange peels.
- Shred the pork and set aside for Taco assembly.
Pineapple Pico
Ingredients
- Pineapple- 2 cups
- Radish – 1 each
- Pickled Red Onions or Raw Red Onions- ½ cup
- Apple Cider Vinegar- 1 Tbs.
- Granulated Sugar- 2 tsp.
- Kosher Salt- 1 tbs.
- Ground Black Pepper- 1 tsp.
- Garlic Powder- 1 tbs.
Preparation
- Cut ends, peel and remove the core from the pineapple.
- Cut pineapple into ¼’’ Slices. Grill the pineapple and then cut the pineapple into ¼’’ cubes.
- Dice the radish & onions and combine with the remaining ingredients.
Salsa Verde
Ingredients
- Tomatillos- 5
- Jalapeños- 1
- Poblano Peppers- 1
- Yellow Onions- ½ cup
- Garlic Cloves- 2 Tbs.
- Canola Oil- 2 Tbs.
- Cilantro- ½ cup
- Lime Juice- ¼ cup
- Kosher Salt- 2 tsp.
- Ground Black Pepper- 1 tsp.
Preparation
- Peel, clean & wash the tomatillos.
- Cut & remove the seeds from the jalapenos & poblanos.
- Dice the onions into 1” cubes.
- Combine the tomatillos, jalapeños, poblanos, onions & garlic cloves with oil and place on a sheet pan.
- Roast vegetables for 20 minutes and let cool.
- Blend ingredients for sauce.
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(All image credits: Firestone Walker Brewing)