Tacos Al Pastor
This IS NOT an authentic Al Pastor recipe. Let me repeat that; "This is not an authentic Al Pastor recipe." This is one of those recipes I tried on my family the authentic way and they decided it needed some changes to meet their tastes. Hey, it happens. That's why we try new things. This recipe starts out with some charred garlic and poblano peppers and then takes on some of the more traditional ingredients.
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Servings: 4
Equipment
- 1 Brazilian Barbeque Vertical Skewer Stand
Ingredients
Al Pastor Meat
- 4-5 pound Boston Butt (pork shoulder) Bone out
- 10 gloves garlic unpeeled
- 1 whole poblano pepper
- 4 dried guajillo peppers
- ½ white onion quartered
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- 1 tbsp chipotle pepper adobo sauce
- 3 tbsp achiote paste ½ of the 3½ oz box
- ½ cup orange juice
- ½ cup pineapple juice
- 1 tbsp oregano
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- ½ tbsp salt
- ½ tbsp pepper
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 1 whole pineapple
Tacos
- 24 street-sized corn tortillas
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro chopped
- 1 small white onion diced
Instructions
Al Pastor Marinade
- Slice the pork into ¼ inch slices; set aside
- Roast the garlic cloves and poblano pepper over high heat in a cast iron skillet. Turn the garlic and pepper once they get black skin on the side facing the heat source
- Once the garlic and pepper are soft to the touch, remove from the skillet, place in a bowl, and cover with a damp paper towel; set aside
- Heat about 4 cups of water in either a microwave-safe dish or in a stock pot to nearly boiling
- While the water is heating, remove the stem and seeds from the guajillo peppers
- Submerge the dried guajillo peppers in the hot water for 15 minutes (you may need to put a small plate on top of the peppers to keep them submerged)
- While the guajillo peppers are rehydrating, peel the garlic and remove the charred areas of the poblano pepper
- Remove the stem and seeds from the poblano pepper, cut the pepper into quarters
- Remove the stem from the chipotle peppers
- Place the poblano pepper, garlic, onions, chipotle peppers, achiote paste, OJ, pineapple juice, oregano, cumin, paprika, salt, pepper, and cinnamon in a blender
- Remove the guajillo peppers from the water, let most of the water drain off of the pepper and then place in the blender
- Blend the mixture on high until it is smooth and there are no chunks visible
- Place the pork slices in a large bowl, pour the marinade over the pork and mix well (make sure all of the pork slices are well covered with the marinade)
- Cover and place in the refrigerator for at least overnight and up to three days (we have found longer is better)
Cooking Al Pastor
- Remove all but one rack from the oven
- Place the one remaining rack on the lowest setting (you will need at least 13 inches of clearance)
- Preheat oven or grill to 350℉
- Peel and slice the pineapple into 1-inch thick slices; place one slice of pineapple on the bottom of a Brazilian vertical skewer
- Place the slices of pork on the skewer, one at a time until there are no slices left. Leave enough room at the top of the skewer for the second pineapple slice
- Place the second pineapple slice on the top of the skewer
- Place the Brazilian skewer on a baking sheet with sides to capture any fluids from the marinade during the roasting process
- Cook the Al Pastor until the temperature reaches between 180 and 190℉. This will give you tender meat that is not so tender it will shred when you slice it
- Let the Al Pastor rest for about 10 minutes
- Using a very sharp knife or an electric knife, slice the pork while still on the skewer. Start at the top and slice a thin layer all the way down each side. It is best to turn the skewer after each cut so you don't end up with a leaning tower of meat
- Place the meat on a serving plate
- Cut the two pineapple slices into small bits for serving on the tacos
Taco Assembly
- Place the Al Pastor meat on a heated corn tortilla with onion, cilantro, and pineapple chunks. That's it! The complex flavors of the meat do not anything else. It's good stuff!
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