Al Pastor Marinated Meat on a Spit

Ingredients

• 10 Dried guajillo chiles (Soaked and stemmed and seeded)
• 7 Garlic cloves for the marinade (Cooked and peeled)
• 1.5 Onion for the marinade (Cooked; approximately one and a half onions)
• 3 cup Orange juice (Strained to remove seeds and pulp)
• 3 tbsp Cumin
• 3 tbsp Whole black peppercorns
• 1 tbsp Chicken bouillon (For the marinade)
• 1 tbsp Sea salt (For the marinade)
• 3 cup Apple cider vinegar
• 3 Achiote paste blocks (The video does not specify the weight of each block)
• 4 kg Boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt) (Cut into very thin slices, milanesa-style)
• 4 Garlic cloves for the salsa (Boiled in water)
• 3 Serrano chiles (For the salsa)
• 4 Tomatillos (For the salsa)
• 0.5 Onion for the salsa (Boiled in water)
• 1 Tomato for the salsa
• Cooking water (A little, to adjust the salsa)
• Sea salt for the salsa (To taste)
• Chicken bouillon for the salsa (A little)
• Onion for serving (Sliced to accompany the tacos)
• Cilantro (For serving)
• 0.5 Avocado (Added to the salsa)
• Pineapple (The ends are used to hold the meat, and pieces are cut for serving)
• Asadero cheese (Grated for the cheese crust)
• Tortillas (Two tortillas are used per taco)
• Oil (Mixed with water for dipping the tortillas)
• Lime (For serving)

Steps

1. 1

   Place the guajillo chiles, the 7 garlic cloves, and one and a half onions in a pot. Cover and bring to a boil for approximately 5 to 10 minutes, until the garlic and onion are soft.

2. 2

   Remove the pot from the heat and let the ingredients cool slightly. Juice the oranges to obtain 3 cups of juice, then strain it to remove seeds and excess pulp.

3. 3

   Remove as many seeds and stems as possible from the soaked chiles, since the seeds can make the marinade bitter.

4. 4

   First blend some of the cooked ingredients in a food processor to reduce their volume. Peel the softened garlic cloves and add them to the food processor.

5. 5

   Add the cumin, whole black peppercorns, 1 tablespoon of chicken bouillon, 1 tablespoon of sea salt, and the 3 cups of orange juice. Blend until smooth.

6. 6

   Add the 3 cups of apple cider vinegar and mix very well. Strain the marinade to remove the chile fibers and achieve a smooth texture.

7. 7

   Place the 3 achiote paste blocks in the blender with a little of the strained marinade. Blend until incorporated, then mix this preparation with the remaining marinade.

8. 8

   Cut the pork shoulder into slices as thin as possible, like milanesa. Small pieces that are not suitable for stacking on the spit can be reserved with marinade and cooked separately.

9. 9

   Arrange the pork slices in a tray, container, or bag and cover them completely with the marinade. Stack them so that all the slices remain in contact with the marinade.

10. 10

    Refrigerate the marinated meat for 24 hours.

11. 11

    For the salsa, boil the 4 garlic cloves, the 3 serrano chiles, the 4 tomatillos, half an onion, and the tomato in a pot of water. Reserve some of the cooking water.

12. 12

    Insert one end of the pineapple onto the spit to hold the meat. Thread the marinated pork slices onto the spit, one on top of another, until you form a horizontal trompo. Place the other end of the pineapple and, finally, an onion to secure the whole assembly.

13. 13

    Place the spit on the grill over indirect heat. Cook for approximately 2 and a half hours for the 4 kilograms of meat, rotating it every 15 minutes so it browns evenly.

14. 14

    While it cooks, slice off any pieces of meat that protrude to help give the trompo a more even shape.

15. 15

    Process the cooked salsa ingredients with a little of the cooking water, sea salt to taste, and a little chicken bouillon. Blend until smooth.

16. 16

    When the spit has been on the grill for approximately 1 hour, slice the onion to accompany the tacos and prepare the cilantro. Add half an avocado to the salsa to give it more body.

17. 17

    After approximately 2 hours of cooking, begin finely slicing the meat from the trompo. Also cut small pieces of pineapple to accompany the tacos and grate the asadero cheese.

18. 18

    On a steel griddle, place water and oil in a dish. Dip one tortilla, then another, so they stick together.

19. 19

    Place the double tortillas on the griddle and add asadero cheese to form a cheese crust. Cook until the tortilla and cheese are golden brown.

20. 20

    Add the sliced meat to the griddle for a final sear, taking advantage of the charcoal flavor and creating browned edges.

21. 21

    Assemble the tacos with the browned meat, onion, cilantro, and pineapple pieces. Finish with a few grains of sea salt, salsa, and lime.

Notes

The video does not specify the weight of the achiote blocks or exact quantities for the tortillas, cheese, oil, garnishes, and salsa. The meat is cooked on a horizontal spit over indirect heat; it should be rotated every 15 minutes. The recipe mentions beer as an optional accompaniment.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• Mexican
• tacos
• al pastor
• grilled
• charcoal
• pork
• spicy