Tacos al pastor, called al pastor tacos in Spanish, are arguably the most famous tacos in Mexico City. Local taquerias fight for the title of the best al pastor tacos. The length of the line or the number of people at a taco stall is a good indication of how good the tacos are. These days almost every taqueria in the country serves their own version. Everyone has their own personal claim to the best ones in town—al pastor tacos are a cult taco in Mexican culture.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
●Igredients
●Instructions
●Serve
Ingredients
For the marinade
●3 cups water
●4 dried cascabel or guajillo chiles, stemmed and deseeded
●2 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and deseeded
●1 dried pasilla chile, stemmed and deseeded
●1 large ripe pineapple
●3 cloves garlic
●1 tablespoon achiote paste
●1 tablespoon Mexican oregano
●1 teaspoon ground cumin
●1 teaspoon black peppercorns
●1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
●3 tablespoons olive oil
●3 tablespoons orange juice
●1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for cooking the pork
For the tacos
●3 pounds (1.4 kilograms) pork shoulder steaks
●4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
●1 tablespoon ground ancho or guajillo chiles
●1 teaspoon kosher salt
●1 medium white onion, finely diced
●1 small bunch cilantro, finely chopped
●3 limes, cut into wedges
●4 tortilla corn tortillas
Method
1.Rehydrate the chiles:
In a kettle or small saucepan, boil 3 cups water.
Meanwhile, heat a large non-stick pan over medium heat. Add the cascabel, ancho, and pasilla chiles, and toast for about 2 minutes on each side until aromatic and slightly softened. Carefully pour the boiled water over the chiles right in the pan and place a large plate on top to make sure the chiles are completely submerged. Let them soak for 20 minutes, until they turn soft.
2.Prepare the pineapple:
Wash the outside of your pineapple with running water. Place the pineapple on a large cutting board. Use a sharp chef’s knife to slice the crown- and root-end off and discard them. Stand the pineapple upright on its flat base so that it doesn’t roll around. Starting from the top, slice off the skin and discard it.
With the pineapple still upright, cut off the edible part, working around the core. Discard the core.
Cut about one third of the pineapple into large chunks. You’ll add these to the marinade.
Cut the remaining pineapple into about 2 x 1/2-inch pieces. Place these in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to use. When you’re ready to serve the tacos, you’ll roast these.
3.Make the adobada marinade:
In a blender, transfer the rehydrated chiles—discard the soaking water—and add the pineapple chunks, garlic, achiote paste, oregano, cumin, black peppercorns, vinegar, olive oil, orange juice, and salt. Blend until very smooth.
4.Marinate the pork:
In a large bowl, add the pork shoulder steaks and pour the adobada marinade on top. Use your hands to fully coat the meat with the marinade. Wash your hands and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let it marinate in the fridge for at least 3 hours or up to overnight.
5.Preheat the oven to 400°F.
6.Sear the pork:
Set a large pan with 1 tablespoon olive oil over high heat. You will sear the pork in batches. Once the pan is hot, place 3 steaks in the pan, making sure they don’t overlap. Sprinkle a pinch of salt over each steak.
Sear for 2 minutes per side until golden brown and lightly charred. Transfer the meat onto a large baking dish. Sear the remaining pork.
7.Bake the pork:
Pour the adobada marinade used to marinate the pork on top of the seared pork. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes, until the pork is cooked through. Set it aside to rest while you roast the pineapple.
8.Roast the pineapple:
Transfer the reserved pineapple onto a baking sheet and spread them out into an even layer. Drizzle on 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with ground ancho chiles and salt. Roast for 15 minutes until the edges are lightly charred.
9.Meanwhile, warm the tortillas:
Warm up your corn tortillas over a hot comal or in a pan in batches, and keep them warm in a tortillero or by wrapping them in a clean tea towel.
10.Slice the pork:
Slice the pork thinly with a very sharp knife and place it on a serving platter. Scrape the marinade on top of the sliced pork
11.Assemble the tacos:
Bring the sliced pork, roasted pineapples, warm tortillas, chopped onions, cilantro, and lime wedges to the table so that everyone can build their own tacos. For the perfect al pastor taco, add a spoonful of pork into a tortilla, top with a slice or two of pineapple, garnish with onions and cilantro, and then a generous squeeze a lime. Enjoy!
Leftover pork can refrigerate tightly covered for up to 3 days. To reheat, I simply transfer it into a baking dish, cover with foil, and reheat in a 400°F oven for 15 to 20 minutes.