Description
These delicious tacos are the most flavorful around, featuring tender pork, spicy peppers, and sweet caramelized pineapple. These are a favorite in Mexico and will become your favorite, too!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
For the Tomatillo-Avocado Salsa
- 5 tomatillos, husks peeled
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled
- 2 jalapenos, seeded and sliced
- 1 avocado, pitted and peeled
- 1 yellow onion
- 1/2 cup cilantro leaves
- 3 tablespoons water
- Juice of 1 lime
- Salt, to taste
For the Tacos Al Pastor
- 2 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless pork butt, cut into bite sized pieces
- 3 guajillo chiles*
- 2 ancho chiles*
- 2 chiles de arbol*
- 1 can chipotle chiles in adobo
- 1 medium white onion, halved
- 1 (20 oz) can pineapple chunks
- 3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground clove
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 package corn tortillas
- 4 oz cotija cheese, crumbled, for serving
- Fresh cilantro and lime wedges, to garnish
Instructions
For the Tomatillo-Avocado Salsa
- Chop up the tomatillos, onion, jalapenos, and avocado into large chunks. Add all of the ingredients to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Add more salt, if neccessary, and place in the refrigerator.
For the Tacos
- Boil 2 cups of water in a medium saucepan. Add the dried chiles and reduce to a simmer until the chiles soften and re-hydrate, about 12 minutes.
- Take one of the onion halves and coarsely chop it. Strain the pineapple chunks from the juice and save both in separate bowls.
- Place the rehydrated chiles, one chipotle chile, adobo sauce, chopped onion, about 3/4 of the pineapple juice, vinegar, garlic, cumin, kosher salt, ground cloves, and oregano to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth.
- Pour the mixture into a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil and continue to cook for 3 minutes. Let cool.
- Place the chopped pork into a large plastic container with a lid. Pour the chile mixture over the pork and mix through to coat well. Marinate for 3 hours.
- After 3 hours, preheat a cast iron skillet to medium-high heat. Add a little drizzle of oil and toast the tortillas, about 30 seconds on each side. Place the toasted tortillas beneath a towel to keep them warm.
- Increase the heat to high and add about a tablespoon of oil. Remove the marinated pork from the container and let excess marinade drip off. In small batches, cook the pork until it is cooked through and slightly charred.
- After all of the pork has been cooked, chop it roughly into smaller pieces.
- Dice the remaining onion half and chop up the pineapple chunks. Add to the cast iron skillet and cook until the pineapple slightly caramelizes, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add the remaining pineapple juice and the chopped up pork back to the skillet and mix in with the pineapple and onion.
- Scoop the pork mixture into the toasted tortillas. Top with the tomatillo salsa, onions and cilantro if desired, and crumbled cotija cheese. Serve with lime wedges.
Notes
* These chiles are dried and will likely be found in the international foods section of your supermarket.
- Prep Time: 3 hours 30 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Category: Main
- Cuisine: Mexican