Tacos al Pastor
Tacos al Pastor are a classic Mexican dish featuring marinated pork cooked on a vertical spit, served in corn tortillas with fresh toppings and salsas.
Prep
4 hours (marinating time)
Cook
estimated 1 hour
Servings
50
Difficulty
Hard
1 Ingredients
- 14 kg pork shoulder, boneless, cut into large pieces
- 4 dried guajillo chiles, seeds removed
- 4 dried ancho chiles, seeds removed
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp Mexican oregano
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground clove
- 1 tsp black pepper
- ~1 tbsp salt
- 1 cup pineapple juice
- 1/2 cup white vinegar
- 100 g achiote paste
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- 1 medium tomato, sliced
- 4 tomatillos, husked and chopped
- 4 dried morita chiles, seeds removed
- 4 dried chipotle chiles, seeds removed
- ~1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- Corn tortillas
- Guacamole
- Red salsa
- Chimichurri
- Fresh cilantro, chopped
- Pineapple, diced
2 Instructions
- 1
Cut the pork shoulder into large pieces.
- 2
Remove the seeds from the guajillo and ancho chiles.
- 3
Soak the guajillo and ancho chiles in boiling water for about 15 minutes until hydrated.
- 4
In a blender, combine the hydrated chiles, garlic, Mexican oregano, cumin, clove, black pepper, salt, pineapple juice, white vinegar, and achiote paste to make the marinade.
- 5
Rub the marinade all over the pork pieces, ensuring they are well coated.
- 6
Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
- 7
Prepare a wood fire using wet cherry wood for smoking.
- 8
Cook the marinated pork on the grill or in a vertical spit until fully cooked and slightly charred, about 1 hour.
- 9
Slice the cooked pork thinly.
- 10
Serve the sliced pork in corn tortillas topped with onion, cilantro, pineapple, guacamole, red salsa, and chimichurri.
💡 Tips from the Kitchen
- →
For the best flavor, marinate the pork overnight.
- →
Using a vertical spit will enhance the smoky flavor of the meat.