Hawaiian comfort meets Japanese technique in this slow-braised beauty. Pork shoulder bathes in a sweet-tangy bath of fresh pineapple, soy sauce, and mirin until it's fall-apart tender, then gets finished with caramelized pineapple chunks for texture contrast. It's tropical soul food that happens to be perfect for tacos—sweet, savory, and impossibly tender.←Back to Taco Base Recipes
3 lb pork shoulder, cut into 3-inch chunks
2 cups fresh pineapple, diced
0.5 cup soy sauce
0.25 cup mirin
4 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp avocado oil
4 cloves garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
1 medium yellow onion, sliced
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp salt
0.5 tsp black pepper
Season pork chunks with salt and pepper, then heat avocado oil in a heavy Dutch oven over medium-high heat and brown the pork on all sides.
Add onion, garlic, and ginger to the pot, cooking until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes.
Stir in soy sauce, mirin, brown sugar, rice vinegar, and half the diced pineapple—reserve the rest for later.
Add just enough water to barely cover the meat, bring to a gentle simmer, then cover and braise for 2.5-3 hours until fork-tender.
Remove the lid and increase heat to medium-high, cooking until the sauce reduces by half and starts getting glossy.
Add the remaining fresh pineapple chunks and cook for 5 more minutes until they're heated through and slightly caramelized.
Shred the pork with two forks, mix with the reduced sauce and caramelized pineapple.
Finish with sesame oil and serve immediately while those pineapple chunks are still warm and perfect.
Chef's Notes
Reserve some of the fresh pineapple chunks for the final step—they add crucial texture and bright flavor that balances all that rich, braised pork. Don't skip the reduction at the end; that's where the sauce transforms from good to transcendent.
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