Tacos Al Pastor is a traditional Mexican dish made with thinly sliced marinated pork which is grilled and topped with grilled onions and pineapple.
This may sound like a simple dish but the complex flavors of the marinated pork combine perfectly with with the sweetness from the onions and pinapple.
As a side note, this is a great meal to make for a large group.
Ingredients:
1.5 lbs Pork shoulder or butt
1-2 oz Achiote powder (see note at bottom)
3-4 Goya packets or 1/2 El Guapo
3 canned Chipotle chillies in adobe sauce
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 red onion
1/4 pineapple
Salt
Corn tortilla's
Cilantro
Directions:
Trim any excess fat from the pork then thinly slice into 1/4in pieces.
Pound the pieces into thin, 1/8 pieces then add to a bowl or baggie.
In a blender, mix the Achiote powder, chipotles, vegetable oil and a little salt. Add to bowl or baggie and coat meat well. Add a little water if needed to coat.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 8.
When ready, start the grill for a medium-high heat.
While the grill is heating up, chop the onions and pineapple into small pieces if you have a grill pan you can use. If not, cut into 1/4in slices.
When the grill is ready, add the onion & pineapple and cook till soft and lightly charred.
Remove then grill the meat. About 1-2 min per side.
Remove meat and roughly chop.
For serving, you can either leave the onion & pineapple separate so people can make their own or mix together. Add the pork to the tortilla and top with onion, pineapple & cilantro.
Notes:
Servings = 4-6
Achiote powder - there are 2 common packets that you can find:
Original Recipe - Rick BaylessGrilled Pork Tacos al Pastor - Rick Bayless
Options to try:
Dice - Instead of thin slices then having to dice later, cut pork into small 1/2 in pieces to start.
Marinade - Add pineapple juice to help tenderize the meat.