What's For Dinner Wednesday: Spicy Dr. Pepper Shredded Pork Tacos

Don't you just love the Pioneer Woman? Whenever I'm in a pinch and need a quick recipe that I KNOW is going to taste good, I'm all over her website. It's not my first "healthy eating" stop but an important one nonetheless!

One of our favorites is her Spicy Dr. Pepper Shredded Pork. She uses a dutch oven on the stove but I prefer the crock pot. Same amount of time...less attention needed! The chipotle peppers in adobo sauce give this dish its heat. When I make it for the kids, I will put it in a quesadilla instead of just hitting them with it plain. Also, after shredding the pork, I don't put their portion of meat back into the sauce...its SPICY but oh so good!

Spicy Dr. Pepper Shredded Pork Tacos

Ingredients

• 1 whole Large Onion
• 1 whole Pork Shoulder ("pork Butt") - 5 To 7 Pounds
•  Salt And Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 1 can (11 Ounce) Chipotle Peppers In Adobo Sauce
• 2 cans Dr. Pepper
• 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
• Tortillas

(Toppings: Cheese, lettuce, diced tomato, sliced avocado, sour cream...)

Preparation Instructions

Peel the onion and cut it into wedges. Lay them in the bottom of a crock pot.

Generously salt and pepper the pork roast, then set it on top of the onions in the pan.

Pour the can of chipotle peppers over the pork (include the sauce.) Pour in both cans of Dr Pepper. Add brown sugar to the juice and stir in. 

Cook for at least six hours on low, turning roast two or three times during the cooking process. Check meat after six hours; it should be absolutely falling apart (use two forks to test.) If it's not falling apart, return to the oven for another hour. 

Remove meat from pot and place on a cutting board or other work surface. Use two forks to shred meat, discarding large pieces of fat. Strain as much of the fat off the top of the cooking liquid as you can and discard it. Return the shredded meat to the cooking liquid, and keep warm until ready to serve. (You can also refrigerate the meat and liquid separately, then remove hardened fat once it's cold. Then heat up the liquid on the stovetop and return the meat to the liquid to warm up. 

Serve on warm flour tortillas. Top with shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, grated cheese, avocado slices, salsa, and whatever else you'd like.