You guys.
Today is a fun day — it’s someone’s birthday.
Not mine. If it were, I’d be having a minor panic, because that would mean I’m thirty. Not yet, not yet.
But it is my husband’s birthday. Happy birthday to him — with pork and everything. For a while I joked about how much older he is than me, but that got old quick. Funny for a year at most. Now we try not to be boring, so the old-man jokes are retired.
The truth is, he’s one of the best husbands I could ask for.
He’s probably thinking I’m saying that because I’ve had a couple nights to myself — a whole bed, uninterrupted sleep, no snoring — and it’s been glorious. It really has been wonderful.
We balance each other perfectly. I’m loud, dramatic and emotional; he’s calm, practical and steady. He keeps me grounded. I don’t always understand why I need that, but I do.
I tend to make decisions with my heart. He relies on logic. Sometimes I don’t even feel like I have a head — I act purely on emotion, big gestures and dramatic impulses. I blame my zodiac sign, but really it’s just me. And he can seem heartless at times, which makes our disagreements intense. Our neighbors have probably heard it all; I’m certain they love our food, if not the volume.
He tolerates my quirks: leaving the hair dryer plugged in forever, abandoning the vacuum mid-cleaning with its cord strewn across rooms, sleeping with the fan on high because I’m a human furnace, and late-night pita chips and hummus sessions after pizza. He usually fixes the little messes without fuss or reminders, and for that I’m grateful.
It hasn’t always been easy, and it won’t always be that way. Over the years we’ve worked on things, and the relationship has grown. Turns out relationships require effort — who knew? But when it works, it’s worth it.
Running a food blog means multiple birthday meals for us. When I asked what he wanted for his birthday feast (besides plain steak or chicken), he chose this BBQ beer pulled pork. The pork is adapted from a BBQ beer chicken recipe and transformed into tacos because, honestly, what can’t become tacos? I added crispy onion straws to “man” them up and a bright mango salsa for contrast. We couldn’t stop eating them — he clearly has good taste.
So happy birthday, Eddie. Maybe this is the year I convince you to hate-love that TV show with me.
Crockpot BBQ Beer Pulled Pork Tacos with Crispy Onion Straws and Mango Salsa
4 to 6
30 mins
8 hrs
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Ingredients
- 1 (3.5-pound) pork shoulder roast (bone-in or boneless)
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 12 ounces beer
- 32 ounces barbecue sauce, plus extra for drizzling
- 12 small flour or corn tortillas
- 4–6 ounces freshly grated cheddar cheese
- 1 batch crispy onion straws
Mango Salsa
- 1 mango, peeled and chopped
- 1/4 red onion, finely diced
- 1/2 jalapeño, finely diced (adjust to taste)
- 1 bunch cilantro, chopped
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Optional but recommended: heat a large skillet over medium-high and add 1–2 tablespoons olive oil. Sear the pork on all sides, about 2–3 minutes per side, until golden brown. This step adds flavor but can be skipped.
- Place pork in the crockpot and sprinkle with onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt and pepper. Pour in the beer and add 24 ounces of barbecue sauce. Cook on low for 8 hours, turning the pork once or twice if desired.
- After cooking, shred the pork with forks or tongs. Add the remaining barbecue sauce, toss to coat, and let sit 10–15 minutes so the flavors meld. Remove the bone if using a bone-in roast.
- Make the mango salsa a couple of hours ahead if possible; it benefits from resting. Prepare the crispy onion straws about an hour before serving.
- To assemble tacos: place pork in the center of a warm tortilla, drizzle extra barbecue sauce if desired, sprinkle with cheddar, top with onion straws and finish with a generous spoonful of mango salsa. Serve immediately.
Mango Salsa
- Combine the chopped mango, red onion, jalapeño, cilantro, lime juice, salt and pepper in a bowl. Toss to combine. Store in the fridge for 2–3 days; best after sitting a few hours so the flavors meld.
Notes
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Tomorrow will be even more fun — dessert talk. Funner!