A couple weekends ago I had about 20 friends over for an informal party. The best planning decision I made was making pulled pork tacos – and cooking the pork the Sunday before the party. I used the 5 hours of cooking time to make grocery lists, pick up my house, do yard work and mentally prepare for the week.

When the pork was done, I put it in the freezer for the next Saturday. All I had to do before the party was warm the pork in a dutch oven for a couple of hours and make the picked veggies. I love an advance made dish that can feed a crowd and often use a pork shoulder. You can do all kinds with it – flexible and delicious. Perfection.

Korean Pulled Pork Tacos, inspired by Tasty Kitchen.com

FOR THE KOREAN SHORT RIBS:

• 5 cloves Garlic
• 1-½ whole Inches Of Ginger, Peeled
• ¾ cups Soy Sauce
• ½ cups Plus 3 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
• 6 Tablespoons Rice Vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons Sesame Oil
• 1 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
• 3 pounds Pork Shoulder

FOR THE CUCUMBER SLAW:

• ½ whole Hot House Cucumber
• ½ whole Carrot
• 4 teaspoons Rice Vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Sugar
• 2 pinches Salt
• 1 pinch Red Pepper Flakes

FOR SERVING:

• whole Tortillas
• 2 Tablespoons Cilantro For Garnish

For the Korean short ribs:

In a mini food processor, blend garlic and ginger until minced. Mix with soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Place pork in a large pan and pour over sauce. Cover with foil and cook for 5-7 hours. Remove meat from pan, discard bones. Place in the fridge to chill to touch.

Meanwhile, skim fat off the top of the sauce. Place in a sauce pan and simmer until thickened.

Once meat is cool to touch, pull apart with your fingers. Pour about 1/2 cup of the sauce back into the meat. You may serve the extra sauce on the side or discard it.

For the cucumber slaw:

Peel cucumber and chop into matchsticks. Peel carrot and shred.

Mix carrot and cucumber with rice vinegar, sugar, salt and red pepper flakes.

Serve meat on a warm tortilla topped with slaw and cilantro.