Babyback Rib Tacos

I finally made tacos on a Tuesday! Recipe development has been so much fun, and I've recently started crafting new options for my friends at Whole Foods of Charlotte. Not only do they have the best meat and produce around, they love working with community bloggers like myself to offer their followers unique twists on their ingredients. Let me tell you about these tacos, they could NOT be easier or more delicious! Here's the recipe...

 

 

 

 

 

Rib Ingredients + Marinade

2 lbs. babyback (pork) ribs, trimmed by the butcher
Juice of 2 limes
Zest of 1 lime (apx. 1 tsp.)
2 tsp. chopped cilantro
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. Southwestern Spice Mix: to make, add 2 tsp. each of garlic powder, chili powder, ground cumin and 1/4 tsp. each of salt and pepper to a mason jar and store for other recipes!
1 can Mexican beer
1 pack flour tortillas
1/4 C of cotija cheese
Lime wedges (for garnish)
Avocado slices (for garnish)
Thinly sliced watermelon radish (optional garnish)

Directions

1. Place babyback ribs in a large casserole dish (ribs should lie flat, bone-side down)

2. Add all ingredients of marinade to a small bowl and stir until a paste-like marinade forms

3. Use a brush to baste the ribs with the marinade; if you don't have a brush, simply spoon the marinade on both sides of the ribs. Once basted, cover the ribs with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 2-4 hours

4. Once the ribs have marinated, pull them out of the fridge 30 minutes prior to cooking; preheat oven to 300 degrees and pour 1/4C of the beer into the bottom of the dish (see above.

5. Cover the dish with two layers of aluminum foil and bake for 2 1/2 hours. Once time is up, allow the meat to rest covered for 15-20 minutes.

6. Remove the bones from the ribs; the meat should very cleanly and easily pull off the bones. If not, put the aluminum foil back on and put back in the oven for 30 more minutes. 

7. Take two forks and shred the meat with a gentle pulling-apart motion. 

8. All that's left to do now is assemble the tacos; place package of tortillas (opened) in the microwave for about 30-45 seconds. This will steam the tortillas making them the perfect vessel to hold the rib meat.

9. The final step to delicious tacos is your decision; you can either serve the meat, tortillas and accoutrement (lime wedges, avocado slices and cotija cheese) in separate bowls, allowing guests to assemble their own OR you can serve them plated as I did. Spoon rib meat into a tortilla, top with avocado slices, cotija cheese, sliced watermelon radish, a squeeze of lime and fresh cilantro.

Pure, taco deliciousness. According to my hubby, these tacos are not meant to be a first date food. Get ready for a big, tasty mess!

Bon Appetit Y'all! XX,
Mrs. O'Brien