MexicoLatin America

Tacos al Pastor

Name: Tacos al Pastor
Total time: 3 h
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 1.1 kg Pork shoulder, sliced 1 cm thick; 4 Dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded; 1 Chipotle peppers in adobo, chipotle, plus 1 tbsp adobo sauce; 1 tbsp Achiote paste, for the marinade (optional); 4 cloves Garlic; ¼ cup Distilled white vinegar; 1 Pineapple, peeled; a quarter for the marinade, the rest sliced for serving; 1 tsp Dried oregano; 1 tsp Ground cumin; 2 Whole cloves, whole; 2 tsp Table salt; 2 tbsp Vegetable oil, for searing; 18 Corn tortillas, warmed; 150 g White onion, finely chopped; ½ cup Cilantro, chopped; 3 Lime, cut into wedges

3 hrServes 6$45.96

Thin slices of pork shoulder are marinated in a blend of toasted guajillo chiles, chipotle, garlic, vinegar, pineapple, oregano, cumin, and cloves, then seared hard in batches and served in warm corn tortillas with caramelized pineapple, white onion, cilantro, and lime. Achiote paste is optional because it is not stocked at the reference store; dried oregano stands in for Mexican oregano.

Ingredients

1.1 kgPork shouldersliced 1 cm thickBuy 2.43 lb
4Dried guajillo chilesstemmed and seededBuy 1 bag
1Chipotle peppers in adobochipotle, plus 1 tbsp adobo sauceBuy 1 can
1 tbspAchiote paste (optional)for the marinadeBuy 1 package
4 clovesGarlicBuy 1 head
¼ cupDistilled white vinegarBuy 1 bottle
1Pineapplepeeled; a quarter for the marinade, the rest sliced for serving
1 tspDried oreganoBuy 1 jar
1 tspGround cuminBuy 1 jar
2Whole cloveswholeBuy 1 jar
2 tspTable saltBuy 1 canister
2 tbspVegetable oilfor searingBuy 1 bottle
18Corn tortillaswarmedBuy 1 package
150 gWhite onionfinely choppedBuy 0.34 lb
½ cupCilantrochoppedBuy 1 bunch
3Limecut into wedges

Substitution

Dried oregano in place of “Mexican oregano”. Dried (Mediterranean) oregano replaces Mexican oregano, which is unpriced at the reference store; it is sweeter and less citrusy.

Method

Toast the guajillo chiles in a dry skillet until fragrant, then soak them in hot water for 15 minutes; drain.
Blend the chiles with the chipotle and adobo, the achiote paste if using, garlic, vinegar, a quarter of the pineapple, oregano, cumin, cloves, salt, and 1/4 cup water until smooth.
Coat the pork with the marinade and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
Sear the pork in batches in a very hot oiled skillet until charred at the edges and cooked through, then chop it into small pieces.
Sear the pineapple slices until caramelized and chop them.
Serve on warm tortillas with the pineapple, white onion, cilantro, and lime wedges.