Al Pastor recipe – at home for Cinco De Mayo

Al Pastor recipe – at home for Cinco De Mayo

I have had a lustful addiction to Al Pastor since the first day I tried it. While many Mexican restaurants serve it, my favorite is at “Los Gueros Taqueria”

https://www.taquerialosguerosnj.com/menu

As always, I wondered if I could create a formidable Pastor at home. Obviously, I don’t have the equipment, but if I could understand how to construct it….

After talking to people and looking at the web, I decided that this is where I would start

Smoked Al Pastor

This recipe did not disappoint. I did of course change a few things since I don’t own the device they used to stack the meat. I made a makeshift stack using skewers and a pineapple.

Also, I smoked it in my Big Green Egg and did not do any of the recommended basting, and didn’t need to.

So, If you have never had Al Pastor, I recommend you go to the nearest Los Gueros and try the “Tacos Mexicanos” or the Torta – Al Pastor

If you are not hooked, then stop there. But if you crave it, then know that you can do this at home. Also, you may experience the same disappointment that I have when ordering it elsewhere. That said, I will try it at other places, but so far, Los Gueros is not just the best, but the best by far. This recipe is a very close second.

Ingredients:

4 pounds boneless pork shoulder (sliced 1/8 – ¼ inch thick)
1 Pineapple

Marinade:

2 Tablespoons butter
¼ cup white onion (diced)
4 cloves garlic crushed
½ cup chicken stock
2 dried ancho chili peppers
2 chipotle chili peppers in adobo sauce
1 ½ Tablespoons achiote paste (or powder)
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons Mexican oregano
1 ½ Tablespoons kosher salt
1 Tablespoon sugar
1/3 cup white vinegar

TACO INGREDIENTS

Street Taco sized tortillas – I like both corn and flour.
Some chopped cilantro
limes (cut into wedges)

Process:

Sauté the onion and garlic in the butter until it is soft and transleucent

Add the chicken stock, the ancho chilies, and the chipotles with some adobo sauce

Simmer for 5 – 10 minutes covered so that the liquid does not evaporate

Stir in the spices and vinegar and simmer for another 5 – 10 minutes.

Let it cool, then remove the stems from the ancho chilies and puree with a blender or stick blender.

Place the sliced pork in a Ziploc back large enough to contain it.

Pour in the marinade.

Seal the bag and then agitate the bag to ensure that all of the pork is completely coated with the marinade.

Refrigerate for 24 hours – I actually did a little more than 30 hours.

Smoking day:

Cut the pineapple into three sections. Make your slices into the pineapple at 1 – 1 ½ inches from the bottom and 1 – 1 ½ inches from the top.

Slide skewers into the bottom to allow for stacking the meat on top of the pineapple

Stack the meat onto the skewers

Place the top of the pineapple on top of the meat stack, you’ll see my horrible attempt at this in the video.

You want to roast this meat pile until the thickest part reads 140 – 150 degrees F

You can do this in the oven at 275 or as I did on my Big Green Egg. Or other smoker you may own.

Carve it from the outside in trying to emulate the way they slice Gyro

Warm your tortillas in a skillet and serve as you would a street taco with a wedge of lime and some cilantro. I made a little guacamole on the side.