Tacos al pastor

Ingredients:

3 lbs pork butt, thin sliced

1 pineapple

Marinade:

1 Tbsp oil

3 garlic cloves, smashed

1/4 onion

4-6 dried guajillo chiles, deseeded

2 bay leaves

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

2 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce

1/2 brick of achiote paste

1 Tbsp salt

1 Tbsp cumin

1 Tbsp Mexican oregano

1/2 Tbsp cracked black pepper

1/2 Tbsp all spice

1/2 cup fresh pineapple juice

1 cup low sodium chicken stock

2 dried chile de arbol, deseeded (for spice)

Corn tortillas

Cilantro

Raw chopped white onion

Salsa of your choice

Cojita cheese

Pickled red onions (see recipe)

Directions:

To make slicing easier, pop the pork in the freezer for a couple hours until it firms up, then cut it into thin slices—or have your butcher do it for you.

In a pan over medium heat, sauté crushed garlic and onion in a little oil. Add the chiles and bay leaves and cook for 3–4 minutes. Pour in water and apple cider vinegar, cover, and let it simmer on low for about 10 minutes.

Transfer everything to a blender along with your seasonings, chipotle chiles, chicken stock, and fresh pineapple juice. Blend until smooth, then strain it, pressing the liquid through and discarding the solids.

Coat the pork in the marinade and let it sit for at least 8 hours.

Cut your pineapple into thick slices for stacking. If you don’t have a trompo, you can build one in a 12-inch cast iron skillet using a wooden skewer—start with a pineapple slice as the base, stack the marinated pork layer by layer, and finish with another pineapple slice on top.

Cook at 300°F for about 4 hours, or until the pork reaches an internal temp of 145°F. A smoker works great, but you can also roast it in the oven.