Al Pastor
Al Pastor
The concept of al pastor was introduced to Mexicans in Puebla, Mexico by Lebanese immigrants. The Lebanese originally created tacos arebas, with thinly sliced lamb roasted upright on a spit, much the same way as shawarma. Mexicans adopted the concept, using marinated pork instead. The pork was roasted on the spit, sometimes with pineapple. Once the outside develops a charred crust, the al pastor is sliced off. The pork and pineapple gets served in corn tortillas with cilantro, onion, and a green salsa. Not much is better than this.
Equipment
- Spice grinder
- Blender or food processor
- deli slicer or sharp knife
- al pastor upright spit
- mandolin
- Probe Thermometer
Ingredients
Al Pastor Marinade
- 1 oz dried guajillo peppers
- 1 oz achiote paste
- 1/2 cup pineapple
- 1/4 cup vinegar
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 tsp mexican oregano
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp cloves
- 1 tsp salt
Al Pastor
- 3 lbs boneless pork shoulder
- 1 medium white onion
- 1 whole pineapple trimmed
Tacos
- corn tortillas
- white onion finely chopped
- cilantro chopped
- green salsa
Instructions
Al Pastor Marinade
- Grind the dried chilies, cumin, and cloves in a spice grinder.
- Add all marinade ingredients to a blender or food processor.
- Purée until smooth.
- If you have a deli slicer, slice the pork shoulder 1/8”-1/4” thick. If you don’t have a deli slicer, place your pork shoulder in the freezer for an hour to firm up. Using a sharp knife, thinly slice the pork.
- Place the sliced pork shoulder in a bowl.
- Marinate the pork for 3 days. Make sure every slice of pork gets covered in the marinade.
Al Pastor Assembly
- Place the al pastor spit on a baking sheet lined in foil.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Place 4 slices of the pork on the spit.
- Place several slices of onion on top.
- Repeat these steps until all of the pork is used.
- Place a trimmed pineapple on top of the pork.
- Roast the pork for 90 minutes. The internal temperature needs to read 160 degrees. Let rest for 15 minutes before slicing.
Taco Assembly
- Using a sharp knife, trim off pieces of the pork and pineapple.
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