Homemade Tacos al Pastor with Pineapple
shared by Nibblore Español
These tacos pair juicy pork and caramelized edges with charred pineapple and a fragrant dried-chile and achiote marinade. Instead of using a traditional vertical spit, the pork is seared in batches in a very hot skillet to concentrate the flavor without drying it out. They’re ideal for a casual dinner, and the marinade can be prepared ahead of time. • For easier thin slicing, freeze the pork for 25–30 minutes before cutting it. • Cook the pork in uncrowded batches; if the skillet is too full, the marinade will steam and the meat will not caramelize. • Wear gloves when handling achiote and chiles, as they can stain hands and some surfaces. • If the marinade is too thick to blend, add 1 extra tablespoon of the soaking liquid, taking care not to dilute it too much. • For leaner meat, substitute pork loin for the shoulder; slice it just as thinly and reduce the cooking time for each batch by about 1 minute. • If ancho chile is unavailable, use 1 dried pasilla chile for a similarly deep, lightly fruity flavor. • You can replace the orange juice with 45 ml tangerine juice and 15 ml water. • Instead of fresh pineapple, use pineapple canned in juice, thoroughly drained and patted dry; avoid pineapple packed in syrup. Refrigerate the pork and pineapple, tortillas, and garnishes separately in airtight containers for up to 3 days. Freeze only the cooked pork and pineapple for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator, then reheat the mixture in a skillet over medium-high heat for 3–5 minutes, adding 1 teaspoon of water if it seems dry; warm the tortillas separately just before serving.
- Total time
- 55 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
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Save to my cookbook — freeIngredients
- 700 gboneless pork shoulder, sliced 3 mm thick against the grain
- 3dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
- 1dried ancho chile, stemmed and seeded
- 120 mlwater, hot
- 60 mlorange juice, freshly squeezed
- 30 mldistilled white vinegar
- 30 gachiote paste, crumbled
- 3 clovegarlic, peeled
- 1 tspMexican oregano, dried
- 1 tspground cumin
- ¼ tspground cloves
- 1 ½ tspfine salt
- ½ tspground black pepper
- 1 tbspvegetable oil, divided
- 300 gfresh pineapple, peeled and cut into 1 cm slices
- 12small corn tortillas
- ½white onion, finely chopped
- 20 gfresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems chopped
- 2limes, cut into wedges
Instructions
- 1Heat a dry 30 cm skillet over medium heat. Toast the guajillo and ancho chiles for 15–20 seconds per side, pressing them down gently, until fragrant; do not let them blacken. Transfer them to a bowl, cover with the hot water, and soak for 15 minutes.
- 2Drain the chiles, reserving 60 ml of the soaking liquid. Blend the chiles with the reserved liquid, orange juice, vinegar, achiote, garlic, oregano, cumin, cloves, salt, and pepper for 1–2 minutes, until the marinade is completely smooth.
- 3Place the pork in a nonreactive container, pour over the marinade, and toss until every slice is coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 12 hours. This marinating time is not included in the listed active times.
- 4Remove the pork from the refrigerator 20 minutes before cooking. Lift the pineapple slices out of any accumulated juice and pat them dry. Heat the 30 cm skillet over medium-high heat for 3 minutes, then add 1 teaspoon of the oil.
- 5Cook the pineapple in a single layer for 2–3 minutes per side, until deeply browned in spots but still firm. Transfer it to a cutting board, let it cool slightly, and cut it into 1 cm cubes.
- 6Scrape excess marinade from half of the pork to prevent it from steaming in the skillet. Add 1 teaspoon of oil and cook the first batch over medium-high heat without crowding for 2–3 minutes on the first side and 1–2 minutes on the second, until the edges are browned and the center reaches at least 63°C. Transfer to a cutting board and repeat with the remaining oil and pork.
- 7Let the cooked pork rest for 3 minutes, then cut it into 1 cm strips. Return it to the skillet with half of the pineapple and stir-fry over high heat for 1–2 minutes, stirring, until some edges are crisp and the pork is piping hot.
- 8Warm the tortillas in a separate dry skillet over medium-high heat for 20–30 seconds per side, until pliable with a few toasted spots. Keep them stacked inside a clean kitchen towel.
- 9Divide the pork and sautéed pineapple among the tortillas. Top with the remaining pineapple, onion, and cilantro, then serve immediately with the lime wedges.