by Robert Giles

Summer is a great time to get together with friends. Between all the celebrations, the warmer weather, or just having a little extra time before the kids go back to school, summer just works for big gatherings.

My favorite thing to do, besides firing up the grill, is to keep it simple and have a “build your own” type setup. Tacos and nachos work great with this and that is what we are looking at today.

The shredded pork will be the result of using an electric pressure cooker. These little devices make short work of what would normally be an all-day affair and can free you up for getting the rest of the party ready.

The best thing about this recipe is that it makes a lot. If you don’t have a big group, or if you are using this for just a regular weeknight meal, you can freeze a large portion of the meat and use it for another recipe.

Once the meat is removed and shredded, you can use a blender or immersion blender to turn the vegetables into a tomatillo sauce for topping or save it to use in enchiladas on another night. All your toppings can be pre-cut and set aside in serving bowls so that when it comes time to eat everyone just makes their plate with their favorite toppings and you all get to enjoy the evening.

Pairing for this dinner is fun! The lighter flavors of the pork and tomatillo sauce lend themselves to several different types of wine (and of course margaritas).

I like to go with Lagar De Cervera Albarino. This albarino has the typical floral aromas and brightness with notes of white peach, pear and apple. The light salinity on the finish and acidity accentuate the spiciness of the dish.

If you made your sauce a little spicier and want to temper that, you can go with Jean Baptiste Gunderloch Riesling Kabinett. This wine is going to seem drier than it is due to the balanced minerality inherent to it. With its blend of late and early harvested grapes, you will get notes of tropical fruit paired with fresh green apple that will play well with the cumin and chili powder present in the recipe.

Fret not red wine drinkers, a solid garnacha will work just as well here. There is enough depth in both the sauce and shredded pork for a stronger red wine to complement this dish just as well.

I have said it before and I will say it again, Tres Picos Garnacha is one of my favorite weeknight wines. You can use this wine to accentuate the earthier side of this recipe. The flavors of blackberry and vanilla will round out the brighter and spicier flavors of your tacos while remaining a medium body wine perfect for warm evenings.

Regardless of which route you go with your pairing, the key to this recipe is to have fun. Once all the prep work is done and the pressure cooker is going you will be able to enjoy an evening with your guests without having to watch a more finicky recipe.

You can also do as I do with my friends and turn the prep time into catching up time. Whichever way you plan it, this is one recipe that will become a staple for something more than your typical ground beef tacos.

Ingredients

• 1 lb. tomatillos
• 2 medium poblanos, without seeds
• 1 medium yellow onion, quartered
• 3-4 jalapeños, with or without seeds
• 5 cloves of garlic
• 2 Tbsp. fish sauce
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• ½ tsp. of salt
• 2 Tbsp. cumin
• 2 Tbsp. chili powder
• ½ cup cilantro
• 1 cup water
• 5-6 lb. pork shoulder, cut into 1-inch cubes

DIRECTIONS

1. Dice all vegetables and place in the pressure cooker.

    

2. Season your pork shoulder with salt, pepper, cumin and chili powder and place on top of vegetables.

    

3. Add water and fish sauce to your pot. Use the meat/stew setting, and set the time for 40 minutes.

    

4. Once the pressure cooking cycle has completed, let the pressure release naturally for five minutes then use the quick release.

    

5. Remove the pork and shred.

    

6. Blend the remaining cooked vegetables into a sauce along with the lime juice. Add salt and pepper as needed for seasoning.