Name: Tacos al Pastor
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 160 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 300 g Pork Shoulder, thinly sliced; 6 Corn Tortillas, small; ½ cup Pineapple, finely diced; ½ cup Onion, finely chopped, divided; ¼ cup Coriander Leaves, finely chopped; 1 Lemon, cut into wedges, preferably lime; 1 tbsp Achiote Paste, for marinade; 2 Dried Guajillo Chiles, stemmed and deseeded; ¼ cup Orange Juice, fresh or unsweetened; 1 tbsp Vinegar, plain; 2 clove Garlic, peeled; ½ tsp Dried Oregano, crumbled; ½ tsp Ground Cumin, for marinade; ¼ tsp Black Peppercorns, freshly crushed; to taste Salt, for seasoning; 1 tbsp Cooking Oil, for searing

2 hr 40 mintotal

40 min hands-on2 hr hands-off

Prep 20 min · Cook 20 min

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Medium
Spice: Medium

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Method

Soak the dried guajillo chiles in hot water for 10 minutes until softened, then drain them.
10 min
Blend the softened chiles with achiote paste, orange juice, vinegar, garlic, dry oregano, cumin powder, black pepper, and salt until smooth.
Coat the sliced pork with the marinade, cover, and refrigerate for the listed marinating time.
Heat the measured cooking oil in a hot pan and sear the marinated pork in a single layer until browned and cooked through.
Add the measured pineapple and part of the onion, then cook briefly until the pineapple edges caramelize lightly.
Warm the corn tortillas on the pan until pliable, then fill them with the pork mixture.
Top with the remaining onion, fresh coriander, and lemon wedges, then serve hot.

How to tell it's done

The pork should be cooked through, lightly charred at the edges, and juicy rather than dry.

Getting it right

Tip

Cook the pork in batches if the pan is crowded; browning gives better flavor than steaming.

What to serve it with

Serve with extra pineapple, onion, coriander, and lemon wedges so each taco can be finished at the table.

Substitutions

Use Boneless Chicken instead of Pork Shoulder for a poultry version; the dish will no longer be pork al pastor.
Use Red Chilli Powder only if Dried Guajillo Chiles are unavailable; start gently because heat levels vary.
Use Lemon as listed when Mexican lime is unavailable.
Check packaged achiote paste and corn tortillas for formulation-dependent allergens or additives.

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Ingredients