Crispy Pork Shoulder Hash With Charred Asparagus and Serrano Chile Recipe

This crispy pork hash uses our preferred techniques for making great potato hash—par-cooking potatoes with vinegar to maximize internal tenderness and outer crispiness, as well as cooking all the components (potatoes, vegetables, and pork) separately so that they end up perfectly crisp rather than turning into a steamy, soggy mess. After charring asparagus and a serrano chili in a cast iron skillet, we crisp up leftover pulled roast pork shoulder in reserved rendered pork fat from the roast (hopefully you know not to throw out good pork fat, but if you did, you can use vegetable oil in its place). Once the pork takes on a carnitas-like crunch, we turn our attention to crisping the par-boiled potatoes before tossing them with ground coriander, chili powder, and cumin (this hash owes a great deal of inspiration to one of the all-time great taco filling combinations, chorizo and potato).

Ingredients:

For the Hash:

• 1 1/2 pounds (675g) Yukon gold or russet potatoes, cut into 3/4-inch dice (see note)
• 2 tablespoons (30ml) distilled white vinegar
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 10 ounces (285g) asparagus (about 1 bunch), woody ends trimmed
• 1 fresh serrano chili (about 10g)
• 1/4 cup (60ml) rendered pork fat from roast pork shoulder or vegetable oil, divided (see note)
• 12 ounces (340g) roast pork shoulder, pulled into 2-inch long pieces (see note)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• Reserved drippings from roast pork shoulder (optional)

For Serving:

• Thinly sliced scallions and/or roughly chopped fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems
• Fried eggs (optional)
• Warmed corn or flour tortillas (optional)
• Lime wedges
• Homemade or store-bought salsa verde (optional)