Prep time 20 minutes, plus marinating time
Serves 10
For the tacos:
4- to 5-pound (1.8 to 2.2 kg) pork roast (loin or shoulder)
1 tablespoon Thai Spice Blend
1 tablespoon (18 g) sea salt
1 tablespoon avocado oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2-inch (5 cm) knob of ginger, grated finely
4 limes, cut in half and zested
1/2 cup (120 ml) chicken broth
2 stalks lemongrass or 1 tablespoon (17 g) lemongrass paste
1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro
Paleo Tortillas and sambal oelek or other Asian chili garlic sauce, for serving
For the slaw:
1 small head cabbage, shredded
1/2 cup (115 g) Paleo-Friendly Mayonnaise
2 tablespoons (30 g) sambal oelek or other chili garlic sauce
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro
1 Trim some of the excess fat from the pork roast, but not all of it. Place the roast on a rimmed baking sheet or large platter or plate.
2 In a small bowl, combine the Thai spices, salt, oil, garlic, ginger, 2 teaspoons of lime zest, and juice from half of one of the limes to form a paste. (Wrap and chill the other half of the lime.) Rub the paste all over the pork roast. Cover the roast in plastic wrap and chill for 4 to 18 hours.
3 When you’re ready to cook the roast, place it in a 6-quart (5.7 liter) slow cooker, fat-side up. Squeeze the reserved half of the lime over the pork. Pour the broth around the sides of the slow cooker. Cut the bottom 4 to 5 inches (10 to 13 cm) off of each lemongrass stalk, and discard the tops. Lay the flat side of your knife on each stalk and smash it with the palm of your hand. Bend and twist the stalks to rough them up, and then add them to the cooker alongside the pork.
4 Cover and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours (or high for 2 to 3 hours) if you’re using a loin roast, and 7 to 8 hours on low (or for 3 to 4 hours on high) if you’re using a shoulder roast. When finished, the meat should be easy to pull apart with a fork.
5 Remove the roast from the slow cooker, shred it, discard the fatty pieces, and return the shredded meat to the cooker. Add the juice from half of the other lime and chopped cilantro to the pork and stir it all together. Reserve the other half of the lime for the slaw. Cover and keep it warm while you prepare the slaw.
6 Place the shredded cabbage in a very large bowl. In a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, chili garlic paste, salt, and the juice from the reserved half lime. Pour the dressing over the slaw, add the cilantro, and toss everything together.
7 Cut the remaining 2 limes into wedges.
8 Serve the pork in the tortillas with a forkful of slaw and a bit of the chili garlic paste and lime wedges.
