Last week my cousin Meag shared the sad news with me that her flag football team lost their championship game, a big letdown after a successful season. Not only did she return home without a trophy, but she also has to cook the winning team dinner - what a bummer! Determined to throw a killer party and regain some of her dignity after the loss, my cousin turned to me for help with her party menu and we set out to make a winning game plan.

So let me share a little bit about the opposing team. We’re looking at feeding a crowd of about 20 people, mostly in their 20s and 30s. It’s a football group so we’ll want to keep things casual. One of Meag’s teammates is a sangria master, which takes care of the beverages and also gives us some direction on cuisine. The other important consideration is the game conditions. We’re working with an urban kitchen (a.k.a. tiny), a tight budget, and entertaining on an outside patio. Here’s the formula we came up with:

young urban actives + sangria +budget + patio = TACOS

Sure, cheeseburgers or pizza could be subbed in as alternative answers, but we think tacos give us the best advantage. For one thing, they aren’t overdone. Not that there’s anything wrong with an old school burger bbq, but when you want to be memorable you have to be different. Secondly, tacos can be individualized to suit a lot of different tastes (veggie, meaty, spicy, mild) and each guest will be able to create their own perfect bites. Finally, by utilizing a couple of different recipes and cooking techniques, tacos can be prepared quickly and efficiently in a small kitchen. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention that tacos pair perfectly with sangria and beer.

The following Smoky Pork Taco recipe is going to be the star of the party, and even if you aren’t throwing a flag football get-together anytime soon it is a great recipe to include in your repertoire. It’s adapted from Rick Bayless’s cookbook Mexican Everyday, which is a great resource for quick and easy Mexican cuisine. The best part about this recipe is it utilizes the slow cooker, or as I like to call it, the magic machine. Basically all you need to do is prep a few ingredients in the morning and throw them in the cooker. Six hours later, dinner is ready to go - magical.

Smoky Pork Tacos
(serves eight)

• 1 pound sweet potatoes, chopped into 1-inch pieces
• 2 pounds boneless pork shoulder, fat trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces
• sea salt
• fresh ground black pepper
• One 28-ounce can tomatoes in juice (preferably fire-roasted)
• 3-4 chipotles in adobo (more for spicy, less for mild)
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 5 garlic cloves
• 1 medium white onion, coarsely chopped
• 24 warm corn tortillas
• 1 cup crumbled Mexican queso fresco (for garnish)
• 1 cup cilantro (chopped, for garnish)

Place the chopped sweet potatoes and pork shoulder into the slow cooker, add a generous pinch of sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, and mix until everything is well integrated.

Add the tomatoes, chipotles, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, and onions in a blender and blend until the sauce is well combined. Pour the sauce over the sweet potato pork mixture and set the slow cooker on high for six hours.

When you are ready to serve, remove the slow cooker lid and spoon off the fat that has accumulated on top. Use a wooden spoon to mash and break up the pork and sweet potatoes into smaller pieces. Serve with warm tortillas, crumbled queso fresco and avocado crema (recipe below).

*An undercover key ingredient in this recipe is the corn tortillas, so seek out the best and freshest you can find (Latin American markets and Whole Foods are usually good options). If you are feeling ambitious, you can always try your hand at making your own (check out Elise’s great recipe).

Avocado Crema

• 2 large avocados, pitted, flesh scooped from skin and cut into pieces
• 1 cup cilantro, tightly packed
• ½ cup sour cream
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 4 tablespoons white wine vinegar or fresh lime juice
• sea salt
• fresh ground black pepper

Place all of the ingredients into a blender and blend until well integrated. Serve alongside tacos as a condiment. (This recipe can also be used as a creamy salad dressing.)

More Mexican Inspired Recipes on the Web:

Rick Bayless’s Recipe Collection

David Lebovitz’s Carnitas

Steamy Kitchen’s Steak Tacos

Rancho Gordo Refried Beans

Kalyn’s Mexican Slaw