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.
