Tacos Al Pastor
Author: Aimee
Ingredients
- Marinade:
- 6 pounds boneless pork shoulder
- 3 tablespoons achiote paste
- 2 tablespoons guajillo chili powder
- 1 tablespoon Tajin seasoning
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon oregano
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 ½ tablespoons salt
- 1 tablespoon pepper
- ¾ cup white vinegar
- 1⅓ cup canned pineapple juice
- ½ cup Potter chipotle Jalapeño wine
- 2 tbls. Chipotle adobe sauce
- 1 cup cilantro, finely chopped
- ⅓ cup garlic, finely chopped
- 1 habanero pepper, seeded and minced
- 2 pineapples
- ½ cup fresh lime juice
- 15-20 thick wooden skewers
- For Tacos:
- Small corn and flour tortillas
- Red onion, roughly chopped finely
- Green onion, roughly chopped
- Cilantro, roughly chopped
- Lettuce, roughly chopped
- Queso Fresco cheese, crumbled
- Fresh salsa
- Avacado
Instructions
- MARINADE PREP (12+ HOURS)
- Slice the pork shoulder into about ½ inch slices, then transfer to a large bowl.
- In a bowl, combine the achiote powder, chili powder, Tajin seasoning, garlic powder, oregano, cumin, salt, pepper, chipotle adobe sauce, jalapeño wine, vinegar, and pineapple juice. Whisk until smooth. Stir in cilantro, garlic and habanero.
- Pour the marinade over the pork making sure all pieces are covered. Marinate for 12+ hours.
- COOKING PREP
- Turn Traeger on smoke – establish fire, then turn to 350°.
- Skin the pineapples. This recipe will make 3 Al Pastor “towers”, so cut three 1” base pieces, and then cut the rest of the pineapples into thinner ¼” slices. (I only used about 1 ½ of the pineapples.)
- Remove the pork from the refrigerator and add the ½ lime juice. Toss to distribute lime.
- Use a baking sheet to assemble towers. Place the 3 base pineapple slices down, and then stick 1 skewer into each, pointed end up. Layer the pork and pineapple evenly between the three stacks, using a 2 layers pork to 1 layer pineapple pattern, topping with 2 pieces of pineapple. Finish towers by sticking more skewers down into the towers to help sturdy them, making sure to place one down the center. Clip the tops of the skewers off with wire clippers so that they fit in the Traeger.
- Cook for about 2 to 3 hours at 350°F. The towers may fall over which will not affect the cooking time. Remove when internal temp 140°. Rest meat for 10 minutes. Remove all skewers except the middle one, carve off thin slices of the pork & roasted pineapple.
- Assemble with corn and flour tortillas, onion, cilantro, lettuce, queso fresco, avocado and fresh salsa
Jalapeño Wine Lemonade
Despite his sour appearance, this traveler is certain to be the talk of every get-together. He’s part Mississippi plantation, part Rocky Mountain foothills. A vacationer at heart, he’s a free spirit who can’t be boxed in or bottled up and always delivers the entertaining twist needed to turn ordinary occasions into unforgettable escapes.
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