Tacos Al Pastor
Al
Pastor Tacos are delicious. Somewhat
difficult to duplicate at home due to the cooking method. Real deal Al Pastor tacos are cooked on a
rotating spit (a la Gyros) with a chunk of pineapple on top. I wouldn’t rule it out for the future, but
for now I do not own a trompo, so I had to improvise.
I used pork shoulder for the meat. I cut it into half inch or so slices, then marinated
it for about 4 hours. After that, I
stacked it, and cooked it over indirect head on the grill. After it was cooked most of the way, over the
coals it went to crisp up. I also
grilled up some onions and pineapple slices.
I was fresh out of olive oil so I had to brush them with lard, which was
quite tasty. After everything came off
the grill it was chopped up and added to a hot cast iron pan with a pinch of
salt and squeeze of lime to finish it off.
Severed with some roasted tomato and habanero salsa and chopped cilantro
on yellow corn tortillas. 
Tacos turned out to be pretty tasty. Marinade was good, I have some leftover that
I think I’ll use on some fish or something.
Meat was tasty, but wasn’t as tender and juicy as I would have liked due
my lack of trompo. I know it’s not
traditional, but a pulled pork type preparation could work really well here
too. Salsa was good with a nice slow
burn. I usually get my corn tortillas
from the Mexican grocery. The come in
the refrigerated section and I think they’re way better than the ones from the
Mexican isle and the grocery. I’m
already looking forward to the leftovers tomorrow. Marinade
1 cup pineapple juice
1 cup water
Juice of 1 lime
3 cloves garlic
2 pasillia chilis
2 guajilio chilis
3 chipotles in adobo
4 small packets of achiote
1 tbls Mexican oregano
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
¼ oil
Dump everything in a blender and turn it on. Success!
You made a marinade!
Roasted Tomato and Habanero Salsa
5 roma tomatoes
3 cloves garlic
Juice of ½ lime
½ habanero chili (seeds and membrane remove)
1 small handful of cilantro
Salt to taste
Place the tomatoes and garlic under the broiler until
blackened. Throw everything in the
blender and turn it on.
Congratulations! You made salsa!
