Kalua Pork Taco in Pa’iai Tortilla, with steamed cabbage and pico de gallo
I recently picked up a pastured pork butt at the Sunday farmers market and made the most flavorful Kalua pig. The meat was incredibly tender and juicy — a noticeable step up from conventional grocery pork.
After the pork finished cooking, I sliced cabbage and steamed it briefly in the meat juices until it absorbed the savory flavor. Then I layered the kalua pig, the cabbage, and a bright pico de gallo inside a tortilla made from pa’i’ai. The result was rich, comforting, and fresh all at once.
In a previous post about making pa’i’ai pizza from Mana Ai, I showed how pa’i’ai becomes a workable dough simply by adding a bit of flour and water and kneading. For these tortillas I used a gluten-free all-purpose baking mix (Arrowhead Mills), which combines gluten-free flours with baking powder and xanthan gum. You can use plain flour if you prefer, but the baking mix tends to produce slightly thicker, puffier tortillas.
To form the tortillas, roll the dough to about 1/8″ thick and cut 5″–6″ rounds.
Cook each tortilla in a small amount of coconut or other oil in a skillet for about 2 to 2½ minutes per side. A cast iron skillet works well, but a large griddle will let you cook multiple tortillas at once.
As you cook them, stack the tortillas and cover with a towel or plate. The residual steam keeps them warm and makes them pliable.
Absolutely delicious — the combination of smoky kalua pork, tender cabbage, and bright pico in a chewy pa’i’ai tortilla is hard to beat.
- 8 oz. pa’i’ai
- 1 cup (or more) regular or gluten-free flour or all-purpose baking mix (preferably containing baking powder)
- 1/2 cup (or more) water
- 8 tsp. coconut oil or other cooking oil
- Crumble the pa’i’ai onto a floured surface. Gradually knead in flour and water until a smooth, non-sticky dough forms. Add small amounts of flour or water as needed while kneading.
- Divide the dough into 8 equal portions. On a floured surface, roll each portion to about 1/8″ thick and cut into 5″–6″ rounds.
- Heat a skillet over medium-high. Add 1/2 tsp coconut oil and let it melt. Place a tortilla in the skillet and cook 2 to 2½ minutes. Lift the tortilla, add another 1/2 tsp oil, flip, and cook the second side 2 to 2½ minutes until cooked through. Adjust heat as needed and repeat with remaining tortillas.
- Stack cooked tortillas and keep them covered with a towel or plate to stay warm and become pliable until serving.