Get yourself a nice, cold whatever-you-like, hang out by the grill, talk to your family and friends, have them over. People will start coming over because they’re going to start smelling smoke.
Chef Charlie Torgerson
Chef Charlie loves wowing people. He loves seeing their faces when they try an entrée that he’s made for them. He also has a passion for education, for helping people realize their own potential to deliver delicious eating experiences on the grill for their family and friends.
To showcase that potential, Torgerson joined our team at Hormel Foods for a day to show consumers how it’s done, demonstrating three original, viable recipes that anyone can execute on the grill this summer.
“These dishes, they might seem like a lot of work,” Torgerson said, “but it’s simple ingredients that you can get at any store. … So get yourself a nice, cold whatever-you-like, hang out by the grill, talk to your family and friends, have them over. People will start coming over because they’re going to start smelling smoke.”
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Flip through for a behind the scenes look at cooking Pork Birria Tacos.
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Ingredients
| Birria Sauce and Marinade | |
|---|---|
| 4 | cups Guajillo chilis, soaked in hot water |
| 1 | 7 oz can EMBASA® Chiptole Peppers in Adobo |
| ½ | cup crushed tomato |
| ¼ | cup white vinegar |
| 6 | garlic cloves, peeled, rough chopped |
| 1½ | teaspoons Mexican oregano or oregano, dried |
| 1 | teaspoon smoked paprika |
| 1½ | teaspoons chili powder |
| ½ | teaspoon cumin |
| 1 | teaspoon kosher salt |
| 1 | teaspoon black pepper |
| ½ | teaspoon red pepper flakes |
| Birria Stew | |
|---|---|
| 1½ | pounds HORMEL® Pork Shoulder or Pork Butt roast, sliced into ½ inch steaks |
| 1 | yellow onion, medium |
| 1 | tablespoon canola oil |
| 3 | bay leaves, whole |
| 1 | cinnamon stick, whole |
| 5 | cloves, whole |
| 2 | cups pork stock or chicken stock |
| Tacos | |
|---|---|
| 24 | mini corn or flour tortillas, 4 ½ inch |
| 2 | cups cheddar cheese |
| ¼ | cup cilantro, chopped |
| 1 | medium white onion, diced |
| ¼ | cup jalapeños, sliced |
Directions
For the Birria Sauce and Marinade
Remove stems and seeds from Guajillo chiles. Place Guajillo chiles in hot water in a bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap to soften. Let soak approximately 15 minutes.
In a blender, add soaked Guajillo chiles and water, and blend until smooth. Add remaining marinade ingredients. Blend until smooth.
Place pork steaks into a stainless-steel bowl. Coat the pork with marinate. Marinate the pork for 8 hours or overnight.
For the Birria Stew
Prepare the smoker or grill to 275 – 300°F.
Place cast iron pot onto the grill over heat. Add oil and sauté the onions.
Once onions are translucent, add the marinated pork and marinade sauce. Add remaining Birria stew ingredients.
Cover the pot and move pot to indirect head on grill. Cook for 1 hour until the pork is fork tender, and reaches a minimum of 145°F.
Remove pork from the pot and use a fork to shred it into fine shreds. Preserve the sauce and set aside.
Add the pork to a large bowl along with 3 ladles of reserved sauce.
For the Tacos
Dip each tortilla into the reserved sauce. Make sure to quickly dip and remove the tortilla – this will prevent it from becoming soggy.
Place a cast-iron pan or skillet over direct heat. Place the coated tortilla into the pan and add cheese over half of the tortilla. Add desired amount of meat over the cheese.
Fold over the tortilla to cover the meat and press it down.
Flip the tacos when golden and allow them to sear on both sides for a total of 5 minutes.
Remove tacos from pan or skillet and sprinkle with cilantro and jalapeños.
For the dipping sauce: take 2 cups of the reserved Birria stew sauce and add the remaining onions and cilantro.
Serve the Pork Birria Tacos with the warm dipping sauce.
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Flip through for a behind the scenes look at cooking Buttermilk Hot Pepper Brined Pork Loin.
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Ingredients
| 1 | HORMEL® pork loin, boneless |
| ¼ | cup buttermilk |
| ¼ | cup orange habanero paste |
| 2 | teaspoons kosher salt |
| 1 | tablespoon barbeque rub |
| Apple Spritz | |
|---|---|
| 1½ | cups apple juice |
| 1 | cup water |
| 3 | tablespoons brown sugar |
Directions
24 Hours Before
Trim any additional fat from the pork loin. Target approximately ¼ inch fat.
Combine buttermilk and habenero paste together in a bowl.
Place pork loin in a plastic zipper seal bag. Pour all of the buttermilk habanero mixture into the bag.
Mix well so all the pork loin is coated with the buttermilk habanero mixture. Place into refrigeration for 24 hours.
After 24 Hours
Remove the brined pork loin from the bag and pat dry.
Evenly season pork loin with salt and rub end to end.
To Grill
When you are ready to cook, heat the grill or smoker to 250°F. (grilling tip- if using 2-zone set up or indirect, add a few chunks of pecan, apple or other fruit/nut wood)
Place the pork loin in the smoker, or on the cool side of the 2-zone or indirect grill, close the grill lid, and cook for 45 minutes.
After 45 minutes, start checking and spritzing the pork loin every 15 minutes with apple spritz mixture.
Continue cooking until the internal temperature reaches 145°F.
Pull from the smoker and let rest for 15 minutes before slicing.
For the Apple Spritz
Mix ingredients together in spritz bottle. Set aside until it’s time to spritz the loin on the grill.
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Flip through for a behind the scenes look at cooking Char Siu Pork Loin.
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Ingredients
| 2 | HORMEL® Pork Tenderloins, thawed, silver skin removed |
| ¼ | cup soy sauce |
| ¼ | cup HOUSE OF TSANG® Hoisin Sauce |
| ¼ | cup Shaoxing wine or dry sherry wine |
| ¼ | cup Oyster sauce |
| ¼ | cup white sugar |
| 1 | tablespoon molasses |
| 1½ | teaspoons fresh garlic, minced |
| 1 | teaspoon five spice powder |
| 1 | teaspoon kosher salt |
| 2 | cubes fermented red bean curd, mashed (note- you can also use red food coloring, 2 drops) |
| 1 | tablespoon honey |
Directions
Prepare the marinade and the glaze the day before you cook.
Marinade
In a large bowl combine the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, oyster sauce, Sherry wine, sugar, molasses, garlic, five spice powder, salt, and red bean curd. Stir to mix well.
Transfer the pork to a large Ziplock bag. Pour ¼ cup of the mixed sauce into the bag. Squeeze out as much air as possible and seal the bag. Massage the bag a few times so the pork is covered evenly with the sauce. Transfer to the fridge and marinate for 12 hours or overnight.
Prepare the Glaze
Add the remaining marinade and honey to a saucepan. Heat over medium heat and stir frequently to melt the honey, bring to a simmer. Place on medium-low heat. Cook for 5 minutes or until sauce is thickened.
Once done, let the sauce cool for at least 10 minutes. Let cool for another 10 to 15 minutes. The sauce will continue to thicken while cooling.
Grilling
Season marinated pork end to end with 1 Tsp. of salt.
Place marinated pork on the grill. Grill for 3 – 5 minutes: flip
Baste the top of the pork with glaze, and grill for another 3 – 5 minutes. Continue flipping and glazing pork on all sides until the pork looks glossy and lightly charred.
Check the doneness by inserting a thermometer into the thickest part of the pork. It should read 145°F.
Once the pork is done, brush it with the rest of the glaze. Cover loosely with aluminum foil. Let rest for 10 before serving.