Recipe

Pork And Black Bean Chalupas With Tex Mex Dressing

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds pork shoulder roast, or pork butt, trimmed
Essence
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium white onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
Water
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons chopped chipotle chiles in adobo
4 cups vegetable oil, for frying
6 corn tortillas
Black Beans
2 cups crumbled cotija or anejo cheese, or coarsely grated queso blanco or Monterey jack
Shredded lettuce
2 firm-ripe Hass avocados, peeled, seeded, and diced
2 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced
Tex-Mex Dressing
Chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Chopped green onions

Season the meat on both sides with the Essence, salt, and pepper.
In a large saute pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat. Add the meat and cook, turning, until brown on all sides, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from the pan. Add the onions and 4 cloves of the garlic and cook, stirring, until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the bay leaves, chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon of the oregano, and the cumin. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Return the meat to the pan and add enough water to barely cover. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer, turning every 30 minutes, until the meat is falling apart tender, about 2 hours.
Remove from the heat and drain, reserving the broth for another use, if desired. While still warm, shred the meat using 2 forks. In a bowl, toss the meat with the chipotle chiles and the adobo sauce. Season, to taste.
In a medium pot, heat several inches of vegetable oil to 360 degrees F. Using tongs, add the tortillas 1 at a time and cook flat until crisp and just golden brown, about 1 minute. Remove and drain on paper towels. Season lightly with Essence.
On a work surface, spread about 1/3 cup of warm beans on top of each of the fried tortillas. Top with meat, cheese, lettuce, avocados, and tomatoes. Drizzle each with the Tex Mex Dressing, and garnish with cilantro and chopped green onions. Serve immediately.