I dream about the crispy pork belly tacos at Cosecha, a fast-casual gourmet Mexican restaurant in Oakland, CA. This was part of Swan’s Market in Oakland, CA. My good friend introduced me to Cosecha years ago, and the crispy pork belly tacos I had there were life-changing. Sadly, Cosecha has now closed, but the owner, Dominica Rice-Cisneros, has opened up a new restaurant concept called Bombera. I hope to visit someday. Whenever I miss her tacos, I always try to make this version.
Crispy Pork Belly Tacos
Ingredients
Pork Belly
- 1 lb pork belly slices
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 tsp taco seasoning
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- Juice of 1 orange
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp onion salt
- 1 tsp salt
Pickled onion
- 2 cups water
- 1/4 onion thinly sliced
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp vinegar
Toppings
- 8 Tortillas
- 1 handful fresh cilantro finely chopped
- 1 jar red salsa
- 1 avocado
Instructions
Pork Belly
- Marinate pork belly slices with garlic, taco seasoning, garlic powder, orange juice, lemon juice, bay leaves, oregano, salt, and onion salt. Marinate at least 2 hours but overnight is best.
- Place the pork belly and all the marinade into a baking dish. Cover with foil and braise 60 mins at 350 degrees. Then remove liquid and allow pork belly to cool completely.
- When pork belly is cooled, cut into 2 inch pieces. Pan fry on medium low heat for 3-5 mins each side until crispy. No oil necessary because the pork belly will start to release its fat when heated.
- Set aside crispy pork belly.
Pickled onion
- Boil 2 cups water. Then add in salt, sugar, vinegar, and mix thoroughly until sugar and salt are completely dissolved. Then add in onions. Allow to sit in the pickling liquid for at least 1 hour. For best results, refrigerate pickled onions overnight and serve the next day.
Assemble Tacos
- Serve pork belly on warm tortillas. Top with pickled onion, avocado, cilantro, and salsa.
- Heat a frying pan on medium heat. When hot, add in tortillas one at at time, allowing them to soften and become very light brown. Remove them from the pan and place onto a covered plate to keep them soft and moist.
- Assemble tacos: place down a tortilla, then top with a few pieces of crispy pork belly. Then top with jarred salsa, cilantro, avocado, and a few slices of pickled onion.
