Al Pastor
This al pastor is juicy, tender, & crispy! It is the perfect balance of sweet & spicy, marinated with pineapple and authentic Mexican spices.
- Prep time
- 30 min
- Cook time
- 3 hr
- Yield
- 6 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 3 lbs pork butt (thinly sliced )
- 1 pineapple
- 3/4 onion
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- 4 garlic cloves (smashed)
- 1/4 onion
- 5 chile guajillo (deseeded)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 chile chipotle in adobo ((2 peppers, not 2 cans))
- 1 tbsp achiote paste (or powder)
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp Mexican oregano
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp all spice
- 1/4 cup canned pineapple juice
- 1 cup chicken stock (1 tsp Knorr + 1 cup water)
- 5 dried chile de arbol, deseeded (optional (spicy))
- corn tortillas
- cilantro
- raw onions
- salsa verde
Instructions
- 1
Partially freeze your pork butt for a couple of hours to make it easier to slice, then pound it out thinly. You can also ask your butcher to slice it for you.
- 2
On medium heat, lightly brown the garlic and 1/4 onion in oil. Then add the guajillo chiles and bay leaves. Saute for 1-2 minutes.*If you want it spicy, add some chile de arbol now.
- 3
Add 1/4 cup each of water and apple cider vinegar. Cover on low heat for 10 minutes, then turn off heat and let it cool.
- 4
Pour everything into a blender with the spices, chipotle chiles, chicken stock (I used 1 tsp Knorr with 1 cup water), and canned pineapple juice. Blend until smooth.*Make sure the canned pineapple juice is the kind that comes from canned pineapples, not just pineapple juice. DO NOT use fresh pineapple juice!
- 5
Pour through a fine mesh strainer and keep pushing it through with a spoon until there are only chunks left. Discard the chunks or repurpose it to make a salsa.
- 6
Marinate the pork butt slices in the fridge for 4-8 hours.
- 7
You can cook the pork however you want- grill, pan fry, or roasting. My favorite method is to slow roast in the oven on a mini trompo, then finishing on a griddle or pan. To make the trompo, cut a thick slice of pineapple for the base and push a thick wooden skewer through it. Place on a baking sheet or cast iron skillet.
- 8
Layer the pork slices on top of each other, then place another pineapple on top to secure. If your pork slices are much larger, you may want to make 2 mini trompos side-by-side.
- 9
Slow roast in the oven for 2 1/2 to 3 hours at 275°F, or until the internal temp reaches 145°F. During the last 30 minutes or so, begin basting the pork with the pan juices.*This is not required but visually looks better- during the last 10 minutes, rotate the trompo on it's side, baste in juices, and set under the broiler for 2-3 minutes, rotating until all sides have become caramelized and crispy.
- 10
Let it rest for 10 minutes before cutting into it.
- 11
Thinly slice the pork. The inside will not be caramelized & crispy like the outside- taqueros usually finish the al pastor on a griddle to achieve that.
- 12
Using the pan juices, cook some sliced onions, pineapple, and al pastor on a pan for a few minutes.
- 13
Once the al pastor is nice and caramelized and the onions have softened, its ready to serve! I like them on corn tortillas with the cooked onions, pineapple, raw onions, cilantro, and salsa verde.