Charred Tacos Al Pastor Recipes

AUTHENTIC TACOS AL PASTOR

Steps:

• Cook tomato on a ridged grill pan over medium-high heat until slightly blackened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool until easily handled. Peel off skin and remove seeds.
• Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add guajillo and ancho chile peppers; cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Drain.
• Combine tomato flesh, softened chile peppers, 2 slices pineapple, orange juice, quartered onion, vinegar, chipotle peppers, salt, garlic, cloves, cumin seeds, and oregano in a blender; blend until smooth.
• Arrange pork slices in a glass or ceramic baking dish. Pour blended mixture over pork, ensuring all sides are evenly coated. Cover baking dish with plastic wrap.
• Marinate pork in the refrigerator, 4 hours to overnight.
• Cook remaining pineapple slices on a ridged grill pan over medium-high heat until slightly blackened and soft, about 5 minutes per side. Chop into small pieces.
• Wipe out grill pan and preheat over medium-high heat. Cook marinated pork in the hot pan, turning once, until browned, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Chop pork coarsely into small pieces against the grain. Serve with pineapple, chopped onion, and cilantro.

TACOS AL PASTOR

Steps:

• Make the marinade: Soak the dried chiles in warm water until softened, about 15 minutes; drain. Discard the stems and seeds. Heat the vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the chiles, onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a blender and add the pineapple juice, orange juice, apple juice, beer, vinegar, oregano, paprika, annatto, cloves, 2 tablespoons salt and 1 tablespoon pepper; puree until smooth.
• Make the tacos: Place the pork in a large roasting pan and pour the marinade on top; cover with foil and refrigerate at least 4 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Transfer the pork to the oven and roast, covered, 3 hours. Remove the pork from the braising liquid and transfer to a cutting board; let rest at least 10 minutes. Reserve the braising liquid. Cut the pork into 1/4-inch pieces and return to the braising liquid, tossing to coat.
• Assemble the tacos: Arrange the pork on the tortillas and top with the pineapple-serrano salsa and tomatillo salsa. Top with cotija, chicharrónes, cilantro and radishes. Serve with lime wedges.
• Soak 20 dried guajillo chiles in warm water at least 30 minutes; drain. Remove the stems and seeds. Transfer the chiles to a blender and add 4 cups water, 5 garlic cloves, 1 diced onion, 2 teaspoons each chicken stock and kosher salt, 1 teaspoon each pepper and dried oregano and 1/2 teaspoon cumin; puree. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve. Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Dip a tortilla in the chile mixture, then add to the skillet and cook until lightly browned, 1 minute per side. Remove and sprinkle with cotija cheese. Repeat to make about 30 tortillas.
• Heat a grill to medium high. Peel 2 pineapples and cut into 1/4-inch-thick planks; grill until marked, about 3 minutes per side. Finely chop the pineapple, removing the core. Soak 2 to 3 thinly sliced serrano chiles in ice water, 10 minutes, then drain. Combine the pineapple, serranos, 2 diced small red onions, 1/2 cup chopped cilantro, 2 tablespoons lime juice, 2 teaspoons kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a bowl; toss. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

HORIZONTAL TACOS AL PASTOR

Steps:

• Puree 3/4 cup of the pineapple juice, the vegetable oil, achiote paste, adobo sauce, chipotles, garlic and salt in a food processor. Mix the pineapple juice mixture with the pork in a freezer bag and move around to coat. Marinate the pork in the fridge, 1 to 2 hours.
• Preheat a cast-iron skillet or grill to medium-high heat. Lightly oil the skillet and add the tortillas, toasting, about 30 seconds per side. Remove the tortillas and store in a towel to keep warm.
• Raise the heat under the skillet to high and add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Remove the pork from the bag and wipe off any excess pineapple juice mixture. Cook the pork in batches, until charred and cooked through.
• Remove the pork from the skillet. Chop the meat into bite-size pieces. Add half of the onions and the fresh pineapple and quickly cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add the remaining 1/4 cup pineapple juice and the chopped pork back to the skillet with the juices.
• Place the pork, pineapple and onion mixture in the tortillas. Top with the remaining onions, cilantro, cotija and salsa. Order a margarita, apply SPF 2 and take a bite.

QUICK TACOS AL PASTOR

Steps:

• Coarsely shred pork, reserving juices. In a small bowl, crush half the pineapple with a fork., In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add whole pineapple chunks; cook until lightly browned, 2-3 minutes, turning occasionally. Remove from pan., Add enchilada sauce and crushed pineapple to same skillet; stir in pork and reserved juices. Cook over medium-high heat until liquid is evaporated, 4-6 minutes, stirring occasionally., Serve in tortillas with pineapple chunks, onion and cilantro. If desired, top with queso fresco and salsa, and serve with lime wedges.

FISH TACOS AL PASTOR

Steps:

• Wash tomatillos under cold running water.
• Line a heavy cast iron grill pan or griddle with aluminum foil and place over high heat. Arrange tomatillos, chiles de arbol, and 2 cloves garlic in a single layer on top. Grill until chiles are blackened, turning as necessary, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Continue grilling tomatillos and garlic until they are evenly blackened, 8 to 10 minutes more.
• Peel garlic and place in a mortar and pestle. Season with salt and pound into a thick paste. Add chiles; pound until smooth. Add as many tomatillos as you can fit in your mortar; pound until chunky. Transfer salsa to a bowl. Repeat with remaining tomatillos, mixing them into the bowl of salsa in batches.
• Place guajillo and pasilla chile peppers in a saucepan, cover with water, and cook until softened, about 25 minutes.
• Combine softened peppers, vinegar, orange juice, 1 clove garlic, cloves, cumin, salt, and pepper in a blender; blend until smooth. Add some water if sauce is too thick. Strain into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool, about 5 minutes.
• Season trout fillets with pepper and put in a lidded container or a large resealable plastic bag. Cover with cooled sauce and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours.
• Remove trout fillets from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes. Remove from sauce and cut into cubes. Reserve marinade.
• Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat and cook 1/2 the onion until soft and translucent, about 3 minutes. Add trout and reserved sauce; cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until trout is opaque and the sauce has been reduced, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and fold in pineapple.
• Warm corn tortillas in a skillet. Divide trout mixture amongst tortillas and top with remaining 1/2 onion and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges and charred tomatillo salsa.

TACOS AL PASTOR (MARINATED, SPIT-ROASTED TACOS)

Steps:

• The day before you plan to eat, place the pork in a large bowl and toss with the lime juice and salt. Heat a comal or nonstick skillet to medium-high heat. Add the onion wedge and garlic, placing the garlic near the edge, away from direct heat. Cook until soft and blackened in spots, turning occasionally, about 7 minutes. Peel the garlic and place both items in a blender jar. Crumble the achiote paste into the blender and add the vinegar, cumin seed, peanuts and bay leaf along with the cinnamon stick, cloves and allspice. Blend until smooth. Pour the marinade over the meat and toss to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 hours.
• The next day, prepare the garnishes: Chop the pineapple, slice the limes into wedges, prepare the salsa, and chop the cilantro and onion.
• Heat a large heavy skillet to high heat and add 1 teaspoon lard. When smoking, add one piece of marinated steak. The meat should sizzle and smoke, so make sure you have a working fan and vent on your stove. Cook until the meat starts to release its juices and lighten slightly in color, 2 to 3 minutes, then flip and cook 2 to 3 minutes more. Both sides should have dark-brown charred spots; if they don't, raise the heat higher.
• Transfer to a cutting board and repeat with the remaining steaks, scraping the pan well to remove any burned bits between frying.
• Scrape out the pan once more and cook the pineapple until soft and charred in spots. Remove to a bowl.
• Warm the corn tortillas on a comal or nonstick skillet and place in a dishcloth to keep warm. Chop the meat into small pieces. Serve on a platter and let guests feed themselves, passing the tortillas and garnishes.

MEXICAN-STYLE PORK TACOS (TACOS AL PASTOR) RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• Slice the pork shoulder into about 1-centimeter (¼ in) slices, then transfer to a large dish or bowl. In a medium bowl, combine the achiote paste, chili powder, garlic powder, oregano, cumin, salt, pepper, vinegar, and pineapple juice, mashing and stirring until smooth with no lumps. Pour the marinade over the pork slices, then toss to make sure they are coated on all sides. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 3 days.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
• Place a slice or two of the pineapple on the baking sheet. Take a wooden skewer and push it directly in the middle of the pineapple. Remove the pork from the fridge and push the slices through the skewer, layering one after the other until there is a 1-inch (2 ½ cm) gap at the top. Push another pineapple slice on top.
• Bake for about 1½ hours, until the pork is slightly charred on the outside and deep red. Rest the meat for about 10 minutes, then carve off thin slices of pork and roasted pineapple.
• To assemble, place some pork on the tortillas, followed by a few pieces of pineapple, a sprinkling of onion, a pinch of cilantro, and a spoonful of salsa, and some diced avocado. Serve with lime wedges.
• Enjoy!

AL PASTOR TACOS

Steps:

• For the marinade: Blend the orange juice, achiote paste, cinnamon, ginger, salt and pepper, mashing and stirring until smooth with no lumps. Use mix to marinate pork for 24 hours.
• Preheat a rotisserie or oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place meat on a skewer layering with onions and cook in a rotisserie or bake until the internal temperature reaches 155 degrees F, about 1 hour. Cut thin slices of meat and place on tortillas, followed by a few pieces of fresh pineapple, a sprinkling of chopped onion, a pinch of cilantro, a spoonful of Salsa de Aguacate and Salsa Roja. Serve with lime wedges.
• Blend together avocados, sour cream, jalapenos, cilantro, serrano, if using, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Preheat a grill to medium-high heat.
• Grill tomatoes, tomatillos, garlic and onion until roasted. Blend very well, then add salt and pepper.

MEXICAN TACOS AL PASTOR

Steps:

• For the marinade: Seed the chiles, and chop finely.
• Mash them together with the garlic, cloves, and cumin; add vinegar (avoid touching the chiles and vinegar with your bare hands if possible to prevent burning the skin).
• Boil the ingredients in heavy saucepan until it thickens into a heavy paste, stirring frequently to avoid burning.
• Let cool.
• Cut the pork meat in thin steaks or slices (normally the slices rest on top of each other while marinating and cooking).
• Apply the paste to the meat putting one slice on top of the other (At an authentic taqueria, this would form a unit topped with pineapple for added flavor and moisture, and placed into the rotisserie and rotated constantly).
• Cover and place in the fridge at least 6 hours (or overnight).
• If using a rotisserie, cook the meat until well done.
• If not using a rotisserie, drain the marinade and cut the pork in small pieces.
• Put in a frying pan with a little oil and cook the meat with small pieces of pineapple making sure the pork is well-cooked, using care not to burn.
• While the meat is cooking, heat the tortillas.
• Finely chop the onion and cilantro together.
• Cut the limes in quarters.
• Serve the cooked meat wrapped in the hot tortillas, and garnished with the chopped cilantro, onion, pineapple, and the lime quarters.

TACOS AL PASTOR

Steps:

• Coarsely chop 1 onion half. Coarsely chop 2 pineapple rounds, discarding core; cover and chill remaining pineapple. Place chopped onion and chopped pineapple in blender. Add orange juice and next 7 ingredients; puree marinade until smooth. Place pork in large resealable plastic bag. Add marinade and seal bag, releasing excess air. Turn to coat. Chill at least 4 hours and up to 1 day.
• Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Grill remaining pineapple until warm and slightly charred, 4 to 6 minutes per side. Grill pork with some marinade still clinging until slightly charred and cooked through, 2 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer pineapple and pork to work surface; chop pineapple into 1/2-inch cubes, discarding cores. Chop pork. Transfer to platter; toss to combine.
• Meanwhile, finely chop remaining onion half and place in medium bowl. Add cilantro; toss to combine. Grill tortillas until warm and slightly charred, about 10 seconds per side.
• Serve pork-pineapple mixture with onion-cilantro relish, Salsa, and lime wedges.