"Plastered" Pork Tacos with Apple-Jalapeno Salsa

Chef John's salted "plaster" coating traps all the moisture and flavor of the pork while it bakes and complements the apple-jalapeño salsa in tacos.

• Preparation Time: 15 mins
• Cooking Time: 3 hr 35 mins
• Total Time: 3 hr 50 mins
• Calories: 496 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, or more as needed
• 1 large egg white
• 2 pinches cayenne pepper
• 2 limes, cut into wedges, or as needed
• 1 (3 1/2) pound bone-in pork shoulder roast
• 2 cups finely diced Honeycrisp apple
• 12 flour tortillas, warmed
• 0.5 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 0.5 cup kosher salt
• 0.75 cup water, or more as needed
• 0.66666668653488 cup finely diced white onion
• 0.5 cup seeded and finely diced jalapeno pepper
• 2 limes, juiced, or to taste

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Arrange oven rack in center position.

Step 2

Season all sides pork with rosemary and black pepper.

Step 3

Stir flour, water, 1/2 cup salt, and egg white together in a large bowl until very smooth. Add flour if it's too runny. Add pork shoulder; coat thoroughly.

Step 4

Spread a few spoonfuls of excess "plaster" into a baking dish or pan. Add pork shoulder, fat-side up. Re-apply plaster with a spoon to any spots not covered and the top.

Step 5

Roast in center of the preheated oven until surface is dry and hard and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reads 185 degrees F (85 degrees C), about 3 1/2 hours.

Step 6

Cool 15 minutes to 1 hour. Remove and discard "plaster." Break pork into big chunks; transfer to a plate. Add some accumulated pan juices from bottom of the pan. Cover with plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator, 8 hours to overnight.

Step 7

Combine apple, onion, jalapeño, cilantro, juice of 2 limes, 1 teaspoon salt, and cayenne pepper in a bowl; set salsa aside.

Step 8

Slice chilled pork into strips, then cut into 1/2-inch cubes.

Step 9

Heat a dry, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork; brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Serve pork on warm tortillas with the salsa and lime wedges.