Tacos for Strength at Mercadito

Stop by Mercadito this month and try Chef David Blonsky's smoked pork cheek taco as part of Chef Patricio Sandoval's Tacos for Strength campaign.

“It’s the taco lovechild of the best of Mexican and barbeque flavors," says Chef Blonsky, of Bull & Bear and Public House. More complex than many of the other tacos on Mercadito's menu, tender pork cheek is nestled in a housemade corn tortilla and topped with salsa verde and crispy shallots, queso fresco and espelette pepper. An order of four tacos is $16.50 at dinner and a lunch order of three is $12.50. Five percent of the proceeds from these tacos will go to Share Our Strength, dedicated to ending childhood hunger.

Here's the recipe for you ambitious home cooks, but I'll just swing by Mercadito to satisfy my taco craving:

Smoked Pork Cheek Tacos with Salsa Verde Pistou:

Ingredients:

5 pounds         Pork cheeks, cleaned

2 each             Carrots, peeled and rough chopped

2 each             Spanish onion, peeled and rough chopped

6 stalks            Celery, rough chopped

5 sprigs           Thyme

3 each             Bay leaves, fresh

1 sprig             Rosemary

¼ bunch          Parsley

3 tbs.               Smoked paprika, dolce

½ cup              Mezcal

2 quarts           Pork demi glace, made in house

                        Hickory wood

                        Apple wood

                        Espelette pepper to garnish

                        Queso fresco, grated for garnish

                        Salsa verde pistou

Directions:

1.      Smoke pork cheeks at 200 degrees with 3 parts hickory to 1 part apple wood.  Allow to cool.

2.      Heat a large sauté pot with oil, sear the pork cheeks, remove and set aside.  In the same pot, caramelize the onions, carrots and celery.  Add pork cheeks and deglaze with mezcal, add in herbs, season with salt and pepper and cover with pork demi.  Cover pot with aluminum foil and place in 350 degree oven for 3 hours, or until pork cheeks are fork tender.

3.      Remove pork cheeks and then strain the sauce.  Place pork cheeks back in sauce and cool down together.

4.      Slice pork cheeks and griddle to add a nice crust, place back in braising liquid and keep warm. 

5.      Place meat in tortillas, spoon some of the braising liquid on top then add salsa verde pistou and garnish with crispy shallots, queso fresco and sprinkle the esplette pepper on top.

Salsa Verde Pistou

Ingredients:

½ cup              Bread crumbs

2 tbs                Red wine vinegar

1 cup               chopped parsley

½ cup              Olive oil

1 tbs.               Capers

1 tbs.               Pine nuts

10 each           Pitted olives

2 each             Anchovies

1 each             Cloves of garlic

1 each             Hard boiled egg yolk

Directions:

1.      Stir together breadcrumb and vinegar in a bowl. 

2.      In food processor, mix parsley, oil, capers, pine nuts, olives, anchovies, garlic and egg yolk until smooth.

3.      Stir mixture into breadcrumb and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.