Homemade pork tinga recipe

Ingredients

• 1 kgpork leg or shoulder
• 4ripe tomatoes
• 3chipotle chillies in adobo
• 1 largeonion
• 2 cloves, peeledgarlic
• ½ tspdried oregano
• 1bay leaf
• to tastesalt and black pepper
• 2 tbspvegetable oil

Instructions

1. 1

   Cook the pork

   Cut the pork into pieces and cook it in salted water with the garlic and bay leaf until tender.

2. 2

   Shred the meat

   Take the pork off the heat and leave it to rest. Once it has cooled to room temperature, shred it thoroughly and set aside.

3. 3

   Char the tomatoes

   Heat a griddle or comal and roast the tomatoes until smoky.

4. 4

   Add sauce ingredients

   Put the tomatoes, chipotles in adobo, the garlic cooked with the pork, and a little of the cooking broth into a blender.

5. 5

   Blend the sauce

   Blend until you have a smooth paste, then set it aside.

6. 6

   Chop the onion

   Peel and chop the onion.

7. 7

   Soften the onion

   Heat a frying pan or casserole with the oil and fry the onion until translucent.

8. 8

   Cook the sauce

   Pour in the sauce, season with salt and pepper to taste, and stir. Cook over a medium heat for 10 minutes.

9. 9

   Add pork and oregano

   Add the shredded pork and oregano, then mix well.

10. 10

    Thicken the stew

    Cook over a low heat until the sauce thickens and coats the pork thoroughly.

11. 11

    Rest before serving

    Turn off the heat and leave the tinga to rest for 5 minutes so the flavours can settle.

12. 12

    Serve the tinga

    Serve and enjoy.

What is pork tinga?

Tinga is a Mexican dish of shredded meat cooked in a savoury sauce, commonly made with tomatoes and chipotle chillies. It is often served in tortillas or on tostadas.

This version uses pork, charred tomatoes and chipotles in adobo. Cooking the pork until tender first makes it easy to shred, while the smoky sauce clings to the strands.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 420 calories, 0g protein, 0g carbs, 0g fat.

The pork is the main source of protein, while the tomatoes and onion contribute most of the carbohydrates in this ingredient list. Most of the fat comes from the pork and cooking oil. Serve with a crisp vegetable side, and choose tortillas or tostadas to suit how substantial you want the meal to be.

The pork and cooking broth

Choose pork leg or shoulder, as both can be cooked until tender and pulled into shreds. The recipe cooks the meat with garlic and bay leaf, then uses some of that fragrant broth to loosen the blended sauce.

Keep the cooked garlic for the blender rather than discarding it. It adds a mellow savoury note to the tomatoes and chipotles.

Building the smoky sauce

Char the tomatoes on a hot griddle or comal until their surfaces are smoky. This gives the sauce a deeper flavour than blending the tomatoes raw.

Chipotles in adobo bring both heat and a smoky, tangy quality. Blend them with the tomatoes and a little broth until the mixture becomes a smooth paste.

Getting the texture right

Shred the pork thoroughly once it has cooled enough to handle. Long, fine strands catch more sauce than large chunks.

After adding the meat, cook the mixture gently until the sauce thickens and coats the pork. It should look moist and well combined, rather than watery.

Timing and seasoning

The pork needs to become tender before it can be shredded; the recipe does not specify an exact cooking time for this stage, so use tenderness as your cue. The sauce cooks for 10 minutes over a medium heat before the pork goes in.

Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste, then leave the finished tinga to rest for 5 minutes off the heat. This short pause lets the flavours settle before serving.

How to serve it

Serve the tinga for lunch with flour tortillas or tostadas, as suggested in the recipe. Tortillas make it easy to scoop up the pork and sauce; tostadas add a crisp base.

A fresh, crisp accompaniment such as shredded lettuce or sliced radishes can contrast with the warm, saucy pork. Keep additions separate so everyone can assemble their own serving.

Recipe notes & tips

• Cook the pork until it is tender enough to shred easily.
• Let the meat cool before shredding so it is easier to handle.
• Use some of the pork cooking broth to help the blender make a smooth sauce.
• Adjust the amount of chipotle to suit your preferred level of heat.
• Keep the heat low after adding the pork to prevent the sauce catching on the pan.

Variations

• Milder sauce: Use fewer chipotles in adobo for less heat.
• More smoky flavour: Char the tomatoes until their skins are well blistered.
• Tortilla filling: Spoon the tinga into warm flour tortillas for serving.
• Crisp base: Serve the pork over tostadas instead of tortillas.
• Extra vegetables: Serve with shredded lettuce or sliced radishes on the side.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Undercooking the pork: Continue cooking until it is tender enough to shred easily.
• Skipping the tomato charring: Roast the tomatoes until smoky for the flavour the recipe relies on.
• Adding too much broth: Blend in only a little at first so the sauce remains a paste.
• Cooking the pork on high heat in the sauce: Keep it low so the sauce does not catch.
• Serving immediately: Rest the finished tinga for 5 minutes before serving.

How to store

Cool leftovers and store them in a covered container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in a pan until piping hot, adding a little water or cooking broth if the sauce has thickened too much.

Frequently asked questions