Tacos al Pastor

Name: Tacos al Pastor
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 2 lb pork shoulder, sliced thin; 3 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded; 2 tbsp achiote paste; 1/2 cup pineapple juice; 1/4 cup white vinegar; 4 garlic cloves; 1 tsp cumin; 1 tsp oregano; 1 tsp salt; 1 cup diced fresh pineapple; 18 small corn tortillas; 1/2 white onion, minced; 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped; limes

Pork marinated in chiles, achiote and pineapple, seared until the edges char, and piled on warm corn tortillas with onion and cilantro. The taqueria favorite, made on a home stove.

Prep30 min

Cook20 min

Total50 min

Serves6

What you'll need

12-inch cast-iron skilletFor searing and oven finishes

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Mixing bowl setFor mixing and marinating

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8-inch chef's knifeFor all the chopping

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Steps

Soak the chiles in hot water 15 minutes, then blend with achiote, juice, vinegar, garlic, cumin, oregano and salt into a smooth marinade.

Coat the pork and marinate at least 2 hours or overnight.

Sear the pork in a very hot skillet in batches until browned with charred edges, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Add pineapple to the last batch to caramelize.

Chop the pork, warm the tortillas and fill with pork, pineapple, onion and cilantro. Serve with lime.

TipSlice the pork thin while partly frozen; thin pieces char fast without drying out.