two branches homestead

 

Everyone is a fan of taco Tuesday and we are no exception. Here on the homestead we just do it a little different. No Ortega taco kits like when you were a kid.  Here we use as many fresh ingredients as possible, we raised the pigs, we grew the veggies, and we even made the soft taco shells.  This meal actually started last spring if you think about it, when we picked up our piglets from the farm and started our seeds in the basement.

making the taco shells

First we made dough using a very simple recipe and mixed the ingredients using our kitchen aid mixer with  the dough hook.

soft taco recipe

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder 

2 tablespoons crisco

1 1/2 cups water

Mix all dry ingredients in mixer then add crisco,  blend until the mixture looks like crumbs.  Add water slowly until dough sticks to hook.  Make small dough balls about 1.5 inches in diameter, and either roll out or press into a 5″ circle.  Then cook in lightly greased hot cast iron pan, until lightly browned on each side.

 

 

pulled pork recipe

We started our home grown pulled pork in the slow cooker in the morning.  We used a 3lb picnic roast from the pigs we raised this summer. We placed it in the slow cooker and added black pepper, garlic powder, cumin, paprika, and cayenne.  We then poured 1/2 bottle of homemade hard cider over the roast and covered and cooked on low for 10 hrs.

 

 

After ten long hours we removed the pork from the pot and discarded the remaining liquid. We then made the BBQ sauce directly in the crock pot.  Everyone has their own favorite BBQ sauce recipe but ours includes mixing together ketchup, brown sugar, black pepper, garlic, cayenne, paprika, and apple cider vinegar.  Then shred the pork with two forks and return to pot and stir into sauce.

Serve on top of your homemade soft tacos and top with your favorite taco toppings.  We love simple toppings like cheddar cheese, sour cream, and our homemade pickled jalapenos.

So next time its taco Tuesday take it to the next level and make it yourself.  Or really get crazy and buy a couple of pigs like we did.