Cinco de Mayo on a Tuesday

Cinco de Mayo fell on a Tuesday that year. Taco Tuesday. It seemed like a good excuse to do something a little different.

Tacos in our house are usually what you might expect on a work night: ground beef or poultry, taco seasoning, shells and cheese. Maybe a package of Mexican rice on the side. There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s easy, and it gets dinner on the table.

Cinco de Mayo isn’t a grand holiday in our house, but it’s a reason to put in a little more effort. Maybe pick up some Corona or Modelo and make something with a different flavor and feel—something a little closer to Mexican cooking than our usual grocery-store taco night.

Of course, it was still Tuesday. I had to go to work, and dinner wasn’t going to make itself. So I got a little creative.

I like country-style pork ribs. They aren’t actually ribs, but they’re cheap—sometimes really cheap—and easy to use. I put a couple of packages in the slow cooker with some adobo seasoning, orange juice, onion and maybe a little garlic. Turn it on low on the way out the door, and by the time I get home, the pork is tender and ready to shred.

For this dinner, I put some of the shredded pork in a hot skillet to crisp up the edges, then made quesadillas with cheese and pickled red onion. We had corn and rice with black beans on the side.

The pork doesn’t have to become quesadillas, either. Sometimes it’s tacos. Sometimes it’s a bánh mì-ish sandwich. However it ends up, I like something bright and crunchy with the crispy pork. It gives the whole thing a little balance.

It was a different kind of Taco Tuesday, without having to spend the whole day in the kitchen.

Get the Slow-Cooked Crispy Pork recipe →