Tacos al Pastor
By jeknudson
Sweet, tangy pineapple is tough to pair with wine, so have these tasty tacos with crisp, lightly malty beer, like an amber ale.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon canola oil, plus more for brushing
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 /2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 /2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 /4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 4 guajillo chiles—stemmed, seeded and cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 /3 cup pineapple juice
- 1 /4 cup distilled white vinegar
- 2 tablespoons achiote paste
- Sea salt
- 2 pounds boneless pork shoulder, sliced 1/4 inch thick
- 1 /2 medium pineapple, peeled and sliced 1/2 inch thick
- 1 medium red onion, sliced crosswise 1/2 inch thick
- Warm corn tortillas, chopped cilantro and lime wedges, for serving
Preparation
Step 1
How to Make It
Step 1
In a medium saucepan, heat the 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the garlic and cook over moderately high heat, turning occasionally, until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Stir in the oregano, cumin, pepper and cloves and cook until fragrant, about
1 minute. Add the chiles and cook, stirring, until blistered in spots, about 30 seconds. Add the pineapple juice, vinegar and achiote paste and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes.
Step 2
Transfer the chile mixture to a blender and puree until smooth. Season with salt. Scrape the marinade intoa large, sturdy plastic bag.Add the pork and turn to coat. Set the bag in a small baking dish and refrigerate overnight.
Step 3
Light a grill or preheat a grill pan. Brush the pineapple and onion with oil. Grill over high heat, turning once, until lightly charred and softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a carving board and tent with foil.
Step 4
Remove the pork from the marinade. Grill over high heat until lightly charred and just cooked through, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer to the carving board and let rest for 5 minutes.
Step 5
Cut the pineapple, onion and pork into thin strips and transfer to a bowl. Season with salt. Serve with corn tortillas, chopped cilantro and lime wedges.