Tacos al pastor are a Mexico City favourite. Street cooks stack marinated pork on a vertical spit called a trompo, roast it in front of a flame and shave it into tortillas with a slice of pineapple from the top. A home cook has no trompo, so this is an al pastor-style version: the same marinade, with the pork roasted hot in the oven and finished on a griddle to get those charred edges.
Achiote paste, made from annatto seeds, gives the marinade its red-orange colour and earthy flavour. You can buy it online and in Latin American shops. Start the marinade the night before if you can.
- Serves
- 4–6
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- You’ll need
- A large roasting tray, a griddle or heavy frying pan, and a blender
- Difficulty
- Medium
Ingredients
For the marinade
- 3 dried guajillo chillies, stalks and seeds removed
- 1 dried ancho chilli, stalk and seeds removed
- 2 tbsp achiote paste (or 1 tbsp sweet paprika plus 1 tsp smoked paprika, for colour and warmth)
- 120 ml pineapple juice
- 2 tbsp cider vinegar
- 3 garlic cloves
- ½ small onion
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- 1½ tsp salt
For the tacos
- 1 kg boneless pork shoulder, sliced about 5 mm thick (ask your butcher)
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 4 rings of fresh pineapple, about 1 cm thick
- 16–20 small corn tortillas
- 1 small white onion, finely chopped
- a handful of fresh coriander, chopped
- lime wedges
- salsa, to serve
Method
- Soak the chillies. Toast the dried chillies in a dry pan for 20–30 seconds a side until fragrant, then soak them in just-boiled water for 20 minutes. Chilli handling: wash your hands well after touching chillies (or wear thin gloves), and keep your fingers away from your eyes.
- Blend the marinade. Drain the chillies and blend them with the rest of the marinade ingredients until smooth.
- Marinate. Coat the pork slices in the marinade, cover and chill for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
- Roast. Heat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan, gas 7). Lay the pork on an oiled roasting tray in a single layer, overlapping as little as possible, and roast for 20–25 minutes, until cooked through and starting to char at the edges. Pork should be cooked right through with no pink juices.
- Char the pineapple. While the pork roasts, cook the pineapple rings on a very hot griddle or dry frying pan for 2–3 minutes a side until charred. Cut into small pieces.
- Chop and crisp. Chop the pork into small pieces. Heat the griddle or pan until very hot and fry the pork in batches for 2–3 minutes, until the edges are crisp and caramelised.
- Warm the tortillas. Warm the tortillas one at a time in a dry frying pan over a medium-high heat for 30–60 seconds a side, until soft and lightly spotted. Stack them in a clean tea towel to keep warm.
- Build the tacos. Fill each tortilla with pork, a little pineapple, onion and coriander, then add lime and salsa.
Tips
- Shoulder is better than leaner cuts: the fat keeps the pork juicy over high heat.
- Don’t crowd the pan when crisping. Too much pork at once steams instead of charring.
- For a closer look at the spit, some cooks stack the slices tightly in a loaf tin, roast, then slice the block thinly. It works, but takes longer.
Questions
Is al pastor spicy?
Usually mild to medium. Guajillo and ancho chillies give colour and warmth more than heat. Add spice with salsa at the table.
Why is it called al pastor?
It means “shepherd style”. The method grew from the spit-roasted lamb that Lebanese immigrants brought to Mexico, adapted to pork and Mexican chillies.
Can I use tinned pineapple?
Yes. Drain and pat dry tinned pineapple rings before charring them. Use the juice in the marinade.
How many people does this serve?
Serves 4–6. For a party, see how many tacos per person, which also covers sides and dips.
Cooking for a crowd? We cater weddings, parties and events across London and the South East from our truck or trailer, with tacos, salsas and toppings made for your guests. Contact us for a quote.