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two small corn tortillas filled with fine cooked ground pork crumbles in a light brick-red chile coating and a little diced white onion on a plain plate with one lime wedge, with no cheese, lettuce or garnish
Rachel Kim

Freezer Ground Pork Taco Meat

Ground pork takes well to ancho chile and orange zest, with a small amount of tomato paste keeping the crumbles moist after reheating. Cook off most of the loose liquid before portioning. This is taco filling, not a soup base, and the freezer will only make that excess water more obvious later. Warm the tortillas on serving day and add the fresh onion and lime after the meat is hot, where their crunch and acidity still matter.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 1/2 lbs ground pork
  • 1 small yellow onion finely diced
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 tsp ancho chile powder
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp finely grated orange zest
  • 3/4 tsp fine salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 cup water for cooking
  • 8 small corn tortillas
  • 1/3 cup finely diced white onion for serving
  • 1 lime cut into wedges
  • 1/4 cup water reserved for reheating

Method
 

  1. Cook ground pork and yellow onion in a skillet over medium-high heat for 8 to 10 minutes, breaking up the meat and cooking it to 160°F. Spoon off excess fat.
  2. Stir in garlic, tomato paste, ancho powder, cumin, oregano, orange zest, salt and pepper and cook for 1 minute.
  3. Add 1/2 cup water and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes until the meat is moist but no loose puddle remains.
  4. Freeze after cooking: divide filling into 4 shallow containers, refrigerate within 2 hours and chill fully. Seal, label and freeze for up to 2 months; keep tortillas, serving onion and lime separate.
  5. Thaw filling overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat in a covered skillet over medium-low heat for 6 to 10 minutes with a little reserved water, stirring until the meat reaches 165°F.
  6. Warm tortillas in a dry skillet for 20 to 30 seconds per side. Divide filling among 8 tortillas and top with measured white onion.
  7. Serve 2 tacos per portion with lime wedges for squeezing.