Ingredients
- 3-4 pounds boneless pork shoulder
- 1 cup orange juice, freshly squeezed if possible
- 1/2 cup lime juice (juice of 4-5 limes)
- 2 Tbsp Sriracha
- 1 Tsp Cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoons salt
- 3 ounces of red (rojo) achiote paste
Directions
- Mix orange juice, lime juice, achiote paste, sriracha, cayenne and salt in a blender until combined. Be sure to rinse the blender soon afterwards, as the achiote stains. I use a stick blender for this.
- Cut pork into chunks of about 1 to 2 inches square. Don’t trim the fat, as you will need it in the braising to come (you can always pick it out later).
- Put pork in a non-reactive (glass, stainless steel or plastic) container, then pour over the marinade mixture. I use a large zip top bag.
- Mix well, cover and keep in the fridge for at least 6 hours and up to 24 hours.
- Put pork in several pans that will fit inside the smoker and ensure there is only one layer (5 Pounds of pork fits well into 3 9x9 pans). Then evenly pour the marinade into each pan.
- Fill smoker with hickory and set temperature to 225 F. Place pans in smoker for about 5 hours.
- Pull the pans from the smoker and cover tightly with foil then place in preheated oven and bake at 325°F for at least 3 to 4 hours.. You want it pretty much falling apart, so start checking at the three-hour mark.
- When the pork is tender, take it out of the oven and open the foil. Remove the meat with a slotted spoon to a bowl, then shred it with two forks. You don’t have to shred the pork, but I like it this way. Pour enough sauce over the meat to make it wet. I usually shred the pork right in the sauce and mix it all up.
- To serve, either use this as taco meat or eat it over rice garnished with cilantro, lime wedges and queso seco, a Mexican dry cheese a little like Greek feta.