Description
A 100% delicious and authentic (award-winning) Tacos al Pastor recipe right from the heart of Mexico. If you've never made your own at home, now is the time. For this recipe, we marinate boneless pork butt (or shoulder) in a tangy, spicy, traditional al Pastor sauce of guajillo peppers, achiote paste, vinegar, pineapple juice, and spices. The pork is layered with onions and fresh pineapple slices and cooked until its edges are crispy. Plus, we share a few ways you can cook this recipe at home without a trompo (vertical spit) and share with you everything we learned so you can make the very best Tacos al Pastor at home
Ingredients
al Pastor Taco Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless pork butt, sliced into thin 1/3-inch steaks (1kg)
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 1/2 golden sweet fresh pineapple (or 1 can of pineapple rings, juice reserved for al Pastor sauce)
- 1 bunch of fresh cilantro, washed and chopped
- corn tortillas
- salsa of your choice
- one recipe of al Pastor Sauce (below)
al Pastor Sauce
- 1 ounce dried guajillo peppers, seeds and stems removed (about 4 large peppers)
- 1 ounce achiote paste (30g)
- 1/4 cup canned (or jarred) pasteurized pineapple juice *see note below
- 1/4 cup white vinegar
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano (use Italian if you don't have Mexican)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper (about 25 turns on a pepper mill)
- 2 cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (optional but recommended)
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder (optional but recommended)
*Using fresh pineapple juice in al Pastor sauce will ruin the texture of the meat as it marinates. Bromelain is an enzyme in fresh pineapple that breaks down the structure of the protein which will give the meat a shredded and very unpleasant texture. I have even tested (so you don't have to) cooking the juice of freshly squeezed pineapple for a lengthy amount of time before using it in this recipe, but it still ruins the meat. Use canned or jarred pasteurized pineapple juice.
Instructions
- Reconstitute the dried peppers. Add the peppers to a saucepot, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until soft, 10 to 15 minutes. Strain and let cool.
- Make the al pastor sauce. Add all the sauce ingredients and the cooled peppers to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Pour through a fine-mesh strainer set over a large bowl to catch any pepper skins. Taste for salt and set aside.
- Marinate the pork. Season the pork butt slices with salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Add the slices to the al pastor sauce and turn each piece to coat. Marinate at least 4 hours, or overnight for the deepest flavor.
- Cook the pork. Choose one of the four methods below. Cast-iron skillet, griddle, or plancha (my go-to):
- Slice the pork and pineapple thinly
- Wipe excess marinade off the pork so it sears instead of steams
- Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a heavy skillet or wok until just smoking
- Working in batches, add the pork along with a little onion and pineapple
- Let it sear undisturbed for 4 minutes before tossing
- Cook 12 to 15 minutes total, until deeply golden and crisp at the edges
- Don't crowd the pan, this is the difference between crispy and soggy
Grill:
- Place the pork steaks, onions, and pineapple slices directly on a preheated grill
- Cook until the meat is crispy and sizzling and the onions and pineapple are caramelized
- Rest the meat 4 to 5 minutes, then slice into thin strips
Broiler kebabs:
- Cut the pork into kebab-sized pieces
- Alternate meat, pineapple, and onion on metal or soaked wooden skewers
- Place skewers on a foil-lined baking sheet
- Broil about 20 minutes, rotating 2 to 4 times for even crisping
- Slice the meat off the skewers before serving if you like
Countertop rotisserie:
- Stake the meat, pineapples, and onions in layers: pineapple, 3 to 4 slices of meat, onion, more meat, pineapple, repeating until you run out, ending with pineapple on top
- Let excess marinade drip off for 20 minutes before starting the rotisserie
- Shave the cooked meat off in thin slices as it crisps
- For extra crisp edges, finish the shaved meat in a hot skillet for a minute before serving
5. Assemble the tacos. Slice or chop the cooked meat and pineapple. Serve on warmed tortillas with your favorite toppings.
Notes
- Reserve some of the sauce. Before adding the raw pork to the marinade, set aside ½ to 1 cup of the al pastor sauce. Drizzle it on top of the cooked tacos for extra flavor, or save it for another recipe.
- Do not use fresh pineapple juice in the al pastor sauce — use canned or jarred pasteurized juice instead. Fresh pineapple contains bromelain, an enzyme that breaks down protein structure and will turn your pork into mush as it marinates. I've tested cooking fresh juice to deactivate the enzyme (so you don't have to) and it still ruined the meat. Stick with pasteurized.
- A note on the home oven vertical stack method: I do not recommend cooking the meat as a stacked vertical roast at home, even though you'll see it in the photos for this post. The stack tips like the Tower of Pisa, the inside doesn't cook evenly, and you still have to shave and pan-sear the meat to finish it. See the body of the post for full details if you want to try it anyway.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Marinate: 4 hours
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Tacos
- Method: Pan-Sear or Grill
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 Tacos al Pastor
