A pyramid style stack of orange hued tacos featuring crisped carnitas peeking from the folded warm corn tortillas. The plate is adorned with fresh cilantro leaves and rings of finely sliced red onions with a dash of creamy avocado green sauce and crumbled cotija cheese.

Pumpkin Spice Carnitas Tacos

Name: Pumpkin Spice Carnitas Tacos
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 120 min
Total time: 140 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Fusion
Ingredients: small boneless pork shoulder, 2 pounds cut into 1-inch pieces; pumpkin pie spice, 2 teaspoons; canned pumpkin puree, 1 cup canned; corn tortillas, 8 warmed; red onion, 1 small finely sliced; cilantro, as per liking chopped fresh; avocado green sauce, 1/2 cup; cotija cheese, 1/2 cup crumbled; olive oil, 2 tablespoons; salt, to taste; black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon ground; cayenne pepper, 1/4 teaspoon optional

Category Main Course

Prep 20 minutes

Cook 120 minutes

Style Fusion

Technique Browning

Diet Friendly Gluten-Free

Daily Recipe: October 04, 2023

Celebrating the National Taco Day in style, let's surprise our friend bunch with a vibrant, spicy and indulgent 'Pumpkin Spice Carnitas Tacos'. These are a fusion of traditional Mexican tacos with a delightful touch of fall ingredients, that makes them a real delicacy for this time of the year.

Ingredients (for 4)

Small boneless pork shoulder - 2 pounds - cut into 1-inch pieces
Pumpkin pie spice - 2 teaspoons
Canned pumpkin puree - 1 cup - canned
Corn tortillas - 8 - warmed
Red onion - 1 small - finely sliced
Cilantro - as per liking - chopped fresh
Avocado green sauce - 1/2 cup
Cotija cheese - 1/2 cup - crumbled
Olive oil - 2 tablespoons
Salt - to taste
Black pepper - 1/4 teaspoon - ground
Cayenne pepper - 1/4 teaspoon - optional

Preparation

Step 1 - 🐖🧂🌶️

Season the small boneless pork shoulder pieces with salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper (if you like it spicy), and pumpkin pie spice.
Step 2 - 🍳🔥🥩

Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the seasoned pork and cook until browned from all sides.
Step 3 - 🎃🥘⏳

Add cup of pumpkin puree to the pan, stir well to ensure the pork is fully coated. Cover the pan and let it simmer over low heat for about 2 hours, until the pork is tender and fully imbued with the flavor of pumpkin spice.
Step 4 - 🥄🥩🍴

With a slotted spoon, remove the cooked pork from the pan and use a fork to shred it lightly.
Step 5 - 🌮🥑🧀

To serve, load the warmed corn tortillas with the shredded pork. Top it off with avocado green sauce, finely sliced red onion, fresh cilantro, and a sprinkle of crumbled cotija cheese.

Additional

This recipe combines Mexican and American fall flavors in the most delightful way possible. The pumpkin adds a hint of sweetness and creaminess to balance the spice and tang of other toppings. Kids can participate in shredding the meat and assembling the tacos. Mix up the toppings as per individual preferences, you can also add a dollop of sour cream or a squeeze of lime.