Stranger Foods

Tacos al pastor

Serves 3-4 30 mins

30 mins	Total
15 mins	Prep
15 mins	Cook
+ 1 hr	Idle

Mexican

Tacos al pastor, a Mexican street-food staple, are a perfect synthesis of local flavors (pineapple, chiles, annatto), Spanish influence (pork, adobo), and Middle Eastern technique (a spinning, shawarma-style vertical rotisserie). The synthesis comes from Mexico’s history, but perfection comes from the combination of sweet pineapple, spicy meat and fragrant corn. This recipe, from the chef Gabriela Cámara, provides an easy way to make it at home; try boneless chicken thighs if you don’t want pork. Either way, make sure to blot the meat until very dry before cooking it so you get a hard sear that mimics the char of a grill.

Ingredients

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Metric

Imperial

For the Adobo (marinade)

2 dried cascabel chiles
1 dried ancho or guajillo chile
2 plum tomatoes, halved and cored
¼ small white onion
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice
2 tsp freshly squeezed lime juice
1-2 chiles de arbol (depending on how much heat you like), stems removed
3 cloves garlic
1 whole clove, or ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
½ tsp ground achiote (annatto) seeds
pinch of ground cumin
pinch of dried oregano
1 tbsp kosher salt

For the Tacos

2 lbs pork tenderloin, thinly sliced crosswise then cut into bite-size slices and shreds
Kosher salt
1 cup small chunks fresh pineapple
2 tsp granulated sugar
12 corn tortillas
2 tbsp vegetable oil, plus more as needed
Minced white onion and chopped fresh cilantro, in separate bowls, for topping
Hot sauce and lime wedges, for topping

Instructions

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Make the marinade: Break off the stem ends of the cascabel and ancho (or guajillo) chiles and shake out and discard the seeds. Place chiles in a saucepan and pour over cold water to just cover. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then turn off the heat and let the chiles soak, .
In a blender, combine tomatoes, onion, oil, citrus juices, stemmed chile de arbol, garlic, clove, achiote seeds, cumin, oregano and salt. Add the soaked chiles and a few tablespoons of the soaking water and puree until smooth. Add more of the soaking water if needed to make a thin paste. Set aside about ½ cup of the marinade for cooking.
Sprinkle the meat with salt. Place in a container, add remaining marinade, and mix until well coated. Cover and refrigerate at least or overnight. (The recipe can be made up to this point up to 1 day in advance.) Bring to room temperature before cooking.
Combine the pineapple and sugar in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Stir often until the sugar is melted and the pineapple is caramelized, about . Transfer to a serving bowl.
Meanwhile, heat the oven to 225°C. Prepare a tortilla basket or slightly damp clean dish towel. On a griddle or in a heavy skillet, warm the tortillas on both sides until hot and blistered, stacking them in the basket or wrapped in the towel. Transfer to the oven until ready to serve.
Place a large, heavy skillet over high heat. Drain off all excess liquid from the meat and blot between layers of paper towels. Add the oil to the hot skillet, swirl to heat through, then add 2 tablespoons marinade. Let sizzle for a moment, then add the meat, spreading it out in a single layer. (If your skillet is smaller than 12 inches, cook in batches to avoid crowding the pan.) Let meat cook undisturbed over high heat until browned on the bottom, then saute over high heat, stirring often, until cooked through but still moist, about . After , taste and stir in more reserved marinade as needed. When cooked, transfer to a serving bowl.
Place everything on the table, including the toppings, and serve at once.

Tacos al pastor

Ingredients

Instructions

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