Tacos al Pastor
- Total Time
- 45 minutes, plus marinating
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 2dried cascabel chiles
- 1dried ancho or guajillo chile
- 2plum tomatoes, halved and cored
- ¼small white onion
- ¼cup vegetable oil
- 1tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice
- 2teaspoons freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 to 2chiles de árbol (depending on how much heat you like), stems removed
- 3garlic cloves
- 1whole clove or ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½teaspoon ground achiote (annatto) seeds
- Pinch of ground cumin
- Pinch of dried oregano
- 1tablespoon kosher salt
- 2pounds pork tenderloin, thinly sliced crosswise then cut into bite-size slices and shreds
- Kosher salt
- 1cup small chunks fresh pineapple
- 2teaspoons granulated sugar
- 12corn tortillas
- 2tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more as needed
- Minced white onion and chopped fresh cilantro, in separate bowls, for topping
- Hot sauce and lime wedges, for topping
For the Adobo (marinade)
For the Tacos
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
716 calories; 32 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 19 grams monounsaturated fat; 6 grams polyunsaturated fat; 57 grams carbohydrates; 9 grams dietary fiber; 14 grams sugars; 53 grams protein; 1308 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Make the marinade: Break off the stem ends of the cascabel and ancho (or guajillo) chiles and shake out and discard the seeds. Place chiles in a saucepan and pour over cold water to just cover. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then turn off the heat and let the chiles soak, 15 minutes.
- Step 2
In a blender, combine tomatoes, onion, oil, citrus juices, stemmed chile de árbol, garlic, clove, achiote seeds, cumin, oregano and salt. Add the soaked chiles and a few tablespoons of the soaking water and purée until smooth. Add more of the soaking water if needed to make a thin paste. Set aside about ½ cup of the marinade for cooking.
- Step 3
Sprinkle the meat with salt. Place in a container, add remaining marinade, and mix until well coated. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight. (The recipe can be made up to this point up to 1 day in advance.) Bring to room temperature before cooking.
- Step 4
Combine the pineapple and sugar in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Stir often until the sugar is melted and the pineapple is caramelized, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl.
- Step 5
Meanwhile, heat the oven to 225 degrees. Prepare a tortilla basket or slightly damp clean dish towel. On a griddle or in a heavy skillet, warm the tortillas on both sides until hot and blistered, stacking them in the basket or wrapped in the towel. Transfer to the oven until ready to serve.
- Step 6
Place a large, heavy skillet over high heat. Drain off all excess liquid from the meat and blot between layers of paper towels. Add the oil to the hot skillet, swirl to heat through, then add 2 tablespoons marinade. Let sizzle for a moment, then add the meat, spreading it out in a single layer. (If your skillet is smaller than 12 inches, cook in batches to avoid crowding the pan.) Let meat cook undisturbed over high heat until browned on the bottom, then sauté over high heat, stirring often, until cooked through but still moist, about 5 minutes. After 3 minutes, taste and stir in more reserved marinade as needed. When cooked, transfer to a serving bowl.
- Step 7
Place everything on the table, including the toppings, and serve at once.
Private Notes
Comments
Like Gyros or Doner Kebab, Al Pastor refers to meat stacked onto a vertical spit, which is then sliced off the outside as it cooks. Put the pork loin in the freezer for 20 minutes or so to firm it up. You'll have an easier time slicing it thin, then put it in the marinade. A dash of liquid smoke in the marinade is a nice cheat, if you like smoky meat.
I think the opposite is correct. First I think "shred" is the wrong term for al pastor. When I hear "shred" I think pulled pork or ropa vieja. Al pastor is all about the crispy bits from the trompo or in this case the griddle/skillet. But in any case, I think you cut the meat before cooking so you can get a more complete "crustification" on the meat. If you slice afterwards, you'll miss a side.
I am also wondering if the meat is cooked first before marinating, and how this should happen, if later does it absorb all the marinade? .
Great recipe! To get more of a traditional cook on the pork, I placed the tenderloin in the freezer for 25 minutes then rinsed and dried it before slicing into 1/2” medallions that I then placed in the marinade overnight. An hour before cooking, I removed the tenderloin and folded them into stacks on skewers (to emulate a tromp) and gas grilled on high heat 500 degrees to sear both sides then lowered to medium temp until pork registered 145 degrees internal temp.
Marinade is very good. My pineapple (canned) didn’t brown in the slightest at medium heat. On high heat, it caramelized in 10-15 minutes. Perhaps fresh pineapple caramelizes more readily.
Wow. Absolutely delicious. Marinating overnight is worth it. Butter-tender and crispy.
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