Instructions

1. Wash the pork and pat it dry. Trim the excess fat, being sure to turn the pork to reveal all sides.

2. Heat the slow cooker to “high" and place about 1 cup of water inside. Alternatively, combine beef broth with some red wine. If you feel daring, experiment with a liquid mixture of lime juice, orange juice and a few dashes of beer.

3. Make a seasoning mixture for your cut of pork, using chili powder as the leading ingredient. Add black pepper, oregano, crushed red pepper flakes and minced garlic to taste. Sample the mixture and cool down the spicy flavor with a dash of sugar or cocoa powder, if you like.

4. Place the pork into the slow cooker. Press the seasoning mixture onto the top and sides. Cook the pork for 1 hour and then turn the setting to “low” and cook it for about seven hours.

5. Lift the pork out of the slow cooker with tongs and place it on a large cutting board. Slice the pork butt or shoulder into several pieces to make it easier to work with. Gently pull each piece apart with two forks, using one fork to hold the pork down and the other to pull it apart (hence the term “pulled pork”). Ensure that the pieces are small or shredded, as they will be going inside tacos.

6. Ramp up your pork by placing a little salsa or tomatillo salsa— a green salsa also known as salsa verde—in the slow cooker, if desired. Place the pork pieces inside and mix until they are fully but lightly coated.