Name: Tacos al Pastor
Yield: 24 tacos
Ingredients: 24 6-inch corn tortillas; 2 tbsps vegetable oil; 2 cups cotija cheese (, finely grated); 1 cup cilantro (, chopped); 4 lbs boneless pork shoulder (, sliced 1/2" thick); 1/4 cup vegetable oil; 1/4 cup kosher salt; 6 ancho chiles; 6 guajillo chiles; 1 medium onion (, peeled and quartered); 4 cloves garlic; 4 bay leaves; 1 cup pineapple juice; 1/2 cup cider vinegar; 1 tsp cumin (, ground); 1/2 tsp clove (, ground); 1 tsp black pepper (, ground); 1/2 tsp allspice (, ground); 1/2 tsp cinnamon (, ground); 1 tbsp thyme (, fresh and chopped); 1 tbsp oregano (, fresh and chopped); 2 tsps kosher salt; 1 medium pineapple (, peeled and quartered lengthwise); 2 medium onins (, peeled and cut in half); 1/4 cup vegetable oil; 1 tbsp kosher salt; Chardonnay

Tacos al Pastor

“Shepherds tacos,” tacos al pastor are a delicious preparation mimicked from the Lebanese migrants' “shwarma” cooked on a vertical spit.

Servings

24tacos

Servings

24tacos

Ingredients

246-inch corn tortillas
2tbsps vegetable oil
2cups cotija cheese, finely grated
1cup cilantro, chopped

PORK PASTOR

4lbs boneless pork shoulder, sliced 1/2" thick
1/4cup vegetable oil
1/4cup kosher salt

PASTOR MARINADE

6 ancho chiles
6 guajillo chiles
1 medium onion, peeled and quartered
4cloves garlic
4 bay leaves
1cup pineapple juice
1/2cup cider vinegar
1tsp cumin, ground
1/2tsp clove, ground
1tsp black pepper, ground
1/2tsp allspice, ground
1/2tsp cinnamon, ground
1tbsp thyme, fresh and chopped
1tbsp oregano, fresh and chopped
2tsps kosher salt

ROASTED PINEAPPLE MIX

1medium pineapple, peeled and quartered lengthwise
2medium onins, peeled and cut in half
1/4cup vegetable oil
1tbsp kosher salt

Wine Pairing

Chardonnay

Instructions

ROASTED PINEAPPLE MIX

PREHEAT oven to 375ºF.
PLACE pineapple and onions on a cookie sheet, brush with oil on all sides and season with kosher salt. Roast until cooked through, softened and lightly browned. Let cool.
DICE pineapple and onions into ½" pieces and mix together. Reserve.

PASTOR MARINADE

REMOVE stems and seeds from chiles, place them in a small sauce pan and cover with water, bring to a simmer, then let cool.
REMOVE chiles from liquid and place in a blender with all other ingredients and purée until smooth.

PORK PASTOR

SEASON pork on both sides with kosher salt and rub liberally with pastor marinade.
REFRIGERATE overnight.
HEAT a barbecue grill on high. Make sure the grill is clean and wipe the it with vegetable oil. Grill pork on each side for about 3 minutes. Let cool and dice into ½ inch cubes. Reserve.

TO FINISH

HEAT a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add oil and in batches sear the pork pastor.
ADD remaining marinade and reserve hot.
HEAT each tortilla on both sides and place 2 ounces of pork in the center of each tortilla. Garnish each taco with 1 tablespoon pineapple mixture, sprinkle with cotija cheese and cilantro. Enjoy.