Tacos al pastor

This popular taco recipe is nothing like the tacos you might have had elsewhere. The traditional recipe calls for thinly sliced pork, pineapple, coriander leaves, and onions to be slow-roasted over a spit and served on a corn tortilla.

Note: Tacos al pastor means “in the style of the shepherd”.

Ingredients

• 3 -3 1/2 pounds boneless pork shoulder sliced 1/4” inch thick (see note), 1 ripe pineapple peeled and sliced into 1/2” thick rings, 4 dried Guajillo chiles, 1/3 cup canned pineapple juice*, 1/3 cup orange juice, 1/2 onion peeled, 4 garlic cloves peeled, 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons achiote paste, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 chipotle pepper from can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, 1 tablespoon ground cumin, 1 tablespoon dried oregano, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 3 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions

• Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add guajillo chiles and toast until blistered in spots and fragrant, turning occasionally, about 3 minutes. Transfer peppers to a cutting board. Once cool enough to handle, cut tops off chiles, cut in half and remove seeds, taking care not to touch your eyes.
• Add chiles back to skillet and cover with water. Simmer 3-5 minutes until softened. Remove softened chilies to blender along with all Marinade ingredients and blend until smooth.
• Add pork to a shallow dish or freezer size bag. Add marinade and stir to combine so every piece is evenly coated. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 8 -24 hours.
  
• Grease grill or grill pan and heat to high heat. Add pineapple and grill until lightly charred, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to cutting board and chop once cool enough to handle, discarding center rind.
• Grease grill once again and heat to high heat. Remove the pork from the marinade and add to grill (you might need to work in batches). Grill over high heat until lightly charred and just cooked through, 2 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes before chopping into bite size pieces.
• Serve Al Pastor in warm tortillas with chopped pineapple and favorite toppings such as pico de gallo, salsa, guacamole, sour cream, cilantro, lime etc.