Surprise your family on Taco Tuesday with this amazing Pork Al Pastor recipe. You can easily make your favorite tacos at home, and it's easier than you think. Thin-sliced pork shoulder marinated in a tangy mixture of dried chiles, orange juice, and spices is baked until the edges are slightly charred to make the most mouth-watering taco meat!
Save this recipe to make the best Tacos al Pastor!
Ingredients for Pork Al Pastor:
- Pork shoulder: or pork butt. Ask your butcher to slice it thinly (¼-inch thick)
- Orange juice: some people use pineapple juice, but I prefer orange juice.
- Vinegar: you can use either white or apple cider vinegar.
- Guajillo chiles: you can find them at most major grocery stores
- Onion and garlic: use any type of onion you have on hand.
- Herbs and spices: cumin seeds (or ground cumin), dried oregano, bay leaf, cloves, cinnamon, all spice, annatto paste, black peppercorns.
- Pineapple: choose one that is not too ripe.
How to Make the Best Pork al Pastor Recipe:
- Remove the seeds from the guajillo chiles and soak them in hot water for 10 minutes
2. Blend the chiles, orange juice, vinegar, spices, onion, garlic, and salt until smooth.
3. Slather the marinade all over the sliced pork making sure you cover all the meat, place it in an airtight container and refrigerate for 2-8 hours. Discard the excess marinade.
4. Cut the bottom of the pineapple and skewer it into an Al Pastor Skewer Stand (you can use three wooden skewers instead).
5. Skewer the slices pork one slice at a time until all slices are in place. Finish with a thick slice of pineapple. Slow roast in a 280 F oven for 2 ½ to 3 hours. Then, turn on the broiler and let the meat char on the edges for about 5 minutes. Keep an eye on it because it can burn easily!
Tips to Make the Best Pork al Pastor Recipe:
- The longer you marinate the meat, the better it tastes, but don't marinate it for more than 8 hours.
- Not all ovens are well calibrated, so start checking for doneness at the 2 ½ hour mark.
- Discard the excess marinade. You can't use it on cooked meat if it came in contact with the raw pork.
- To make tacos al pastor serve the meat over corn tortillas and top with chopped cilantro, chopped raw onion, salsa verde, and sliced cooked pineapple (from the top of the trompo).
Pork Al Pastor Recipe
Equipment
- Al Pastor Skewer Stand
- blender
- oven
Ingredients
- 4 Guajillo chiles
- 2 oranges only the juice (about ½ cup)
- ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon annatto (achiote) paste
- 4 cloves garlic
- ¼ medium onion
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds or ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon all spice
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 5 black peppercorns or crushed black pepper to taste
- 3 lb pork shoulder sliced ¼-inch thin
- 1 pineapple
Instructions
- Remove the seeds from the guajillo chiles and soak them in hot water for 10 minutes
- Blend the chiles, orange juice, vinegar, spices, onion, garlic, and salt until smooth.
- Slather the marinade all over the sliced pork making sure you cover all the meat, place it in an airtight container and refrigerate for 2-8 hours. Discard the excess marinade.
- Cut the bottom of the pineapple and skewer it into an Al Pastor Skewer Stand (you can use three wooden skewers instead).
- Skewer the slices pork one slice at a time until all slices are in place. Finish with a thick slice of pineapple. Slow roast in a 280 F oven for 2 ½ to 3 hours. Then, turn on the broiler and let the meat char on the edges for about 5 minutes. Keep an eye on it because it can burn easily!
Leave a Reply