Red Chile-Chicken Tacos
Makes: 6 servings
Prep: 1 hr
Slow Cook: 3 hrs 30 mins
- 4 dried chiles (such as pasilla negro and ancho)
- Boiling water
- 2 can (15 oz.) sliced pineapple with its juice
- 1/2cup orange juice
- 1/2 onion, peeled
- 1/4cup dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- Salt and pepper
- 1 whole chicken (4 lbs.)
- 1/4 head red cabbage, cored
- 4 carrots, peeled and halved
- 1 bunch scallions, greens chopped (whites reserved for another use)
- 1/4cup mayonnaise
- 12 corn tortillas
- 8 ouncelog goat cheese
- Tear the chiles into pieces; discard the stems and seeds. Place in a bowl.; add boiling water just to cover (place a plate on top to keep submerged). Let soak until tender, about 30 minutes. Transfer the chiles and 1/2 cup of the soaking liquid to a blender. Add 2 pineapple slices, 1/4 cup pineapple juice, the orange juice, onion, brown sugar, cumin, 1 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Blend until smooth; transfer to a large bowl.
- Rinse the chicken inside and out. Pat dry and add to the bowl with the chile puree, turning to coat the skin and fill the cavity. Cover and refrigerate for a least 3 hours or overnight.
- Transfer the chicken and marinade to a large slow cooker. Cover; cook on high until the chicken is tender and an instant-read thermometer inserted into a thigh away from the bone registers 165 degrees , about 3 1/2 hours.
- Meanwhile, using a food processor, fitted with the shredding disk, shred the cabbage and carrots. Transfer to a bowl; mix in the scallion greens. Chop 4 pineapple slices; toss with the cabbage mixture.
- Transfer the chicken to a plate. Pour the juices and marinade into a 1-qt. glass measuring cup; let stand until the fat rises to the top. Skim the fat from the juices. Transfer the juices to a medium saucepan; simmer until reduced to 1 cup. Using 2 forks, shred the meat. Discard the skin and bones.
- Meanwhile, mix the mayo and 1/4 cup pineapple juice into the slaw; season.
- Add the chicken to the reduced chile juices; cook until heated through. Warm the tortillas. Place about 1/4 cup chicken on each tortilla. Top with the slaw and crumbled goat cheese.