Tacos al Pastor
Al pastor is thin pork marinated in guajillo, ancho, achiote, canned pineapple juice, vinegar, and spices for 8 to 12 hours, then roasted on a trompo or grill and shaved crispy. Use canned pineapple, fresh turns the meat to mush. Char the pineapple and onion to finish.
- Method
- Hot and fast grill
- Total time
- 9 to 13 hr with marinade
- Target internal temp
- 145F plus crisp edges
- Gear
- Grill or trompo, Folding Chef's Knife
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 2.5 lb pork shoulder, sliced thin
- 3 guajillo chiles, 2 ancho chiles, soaked and blended
- 2 tablespoons achiote paste
- 1/2 cup canned pineapple juice
- 1/4 cup white vinegar
- 4 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1 teaspoon salt
- Canned pineapple rings and 1 white onion for charring
- Corn tortillas, cilantro, chopped onion to serve
The Cook
- 01
Slice the shoulder thin with the Chef's Knife. Thin slices stack tight and crisp fast.
- 02
Blend the soaked guajillo and ancho with achiote, canned pineapple juice, vinegar, garlic, cumin, oregano, and salt.
- 03
Coat the pork in the marinade and refrigerate 8 to 12 hours. Failure point: use canned pineapple juice, fresh pineapple has an enzyme that breaks the meat down to mush.
- 04
Stack the marinated slices on a trompo, or lay them flat on a hot grill.
- 05
Roast hard, and shave the crispy outer edges off as they brown if you are running a trompo. On a flat grill, sear each slice until the edges char.
- 06
Char canned pineapple rings and onion alongside on the grill.
- 07
Chop the cooked pork and charred pineapple fine with the Chef's Knife.
- 08
Build tacos on warm corn tortillas with cilantro, onion, and pineapple.
Doneness
Pork reads 145F and up with crisped, charred edges. The meat should be cooked through with crispy lacy bits, not steamed and soft.
Pro Tip
Do not crowd the grill. Pack the slices on and they steam instead of charring. Give each one room so the edges crisp and lace.
Questions
Cooked By Our Readers
Real cooks, real fire.
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