Tacos al Pastor Recipe

🧂 Ingredients

• 2 ancho peppers
• 2 guajillo peppers
• 2 dried chiles de arbol

  or more as desired
• 1 small yellow onion

  roughly chopped
• 4 cloves garlic

  chopped
• 1/3 cup crushed pineapple

  or use pineapple juice
• 2 tablespoons chipotle sauce
• 2 tablespoons achiote paste
• Juice from 1 large orange

  about 1/3 cup
• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon Mexican oregano
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt

  or more to taste
• 3 pounds boneless pork shoulder
• Olive oil as needed
• 12 corn tortillas

  warmed
• FOR SERVING: Diced jalapeno, diced pineapple, diced tomato, chopped cilantro, lime wedges, spicy chili flakes, hot sauce

Instructions

• 1 Dry toast the dried anchos, guajillos and chiles de arbol a couple minutes per
  side in a hot pan to release their oils. Cool, then remove stems and seeds. Set
  into a bowl and cover with hot water to soften for 20 minutes.
• 2 Drain the water and add the rehydrated peppers to a large food processor.
• 3 Add in the onion, garlic, pineapple, chipotle sauce, achiote paste, orange
  juice, vinegar, brown sugar, oregano, cumin, and salt to taste. Process until
  smooth.
• 4 Next, slice the pork shoulder into long strips, about ½ inch thick. Make them
  large enough so they won’t fall through your grill grates. (If using the
  vertical skewer method, slice the pork into 1/4 inch or thinner slices, not
  strips.)
• 5 Add the pork to a large bowl and cover with the marinade. Make sure to get all
  of the pork evenly coated.
• 6 Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.
• 7 Heat your grill to medium-high heat and lightly oil the grates. Alternatively,
  you can make this indoors in a grill pan on the stove top.
• 8 Shake off excess marinade and grill the pork for 6-7 minutes, or until cooked
  through. You want to get a nice crusty char.
• 9 Slice into bite-sized pieces and serve over warmed tortillas. Top with diced
  jalapeno, diced pineapple, diced tomato, chopped cilantro, lime wedges, spicy
  chili flakes, hot sauce.
• 10 Shake off excess marinade and thread the marinated sliced pork shoulder onto a
  vertical skewer.
• 11 Heat your grill (or smoker) to 250 degrees F and set the skewer inside over
  indirect heat.
• 12 Grill over indirect heat for 3 to 3.5 hours, or until the pork reaches an
  internal temperature of 145 degrees F.
• 13 Slice into bite-sized pieces and serve over warmed tortillas. Top with diced
  jalapeno, diced pineapple, diced tomato, chopped cilantro, lime wedges, spicy
  chili flakes, hot sauce.

Nutrition Info