Tacos al pastor (pork and pineapple tacos)

Name: Tacos al pastor (pork and pineapple tacos)
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1kg pork scotch fillet cut into 1cm slices (ask your butcher to help or carefully cut store-bought steaks into two thinner slices); warmed corn or flour tortillas, to serve

Danielle Alvarez

November 5, 2019

Pork and pineapple filling for tacos.William Meppem

Time:1-2 hoursServes:6

True 'al pastor' tacos are cooked upright like a doner kebab. To mimic this effect at home, marinate the pork slices, stack them on top of each and use skewers to keep the meat compressed and in place. Then, either cook over a charcoal grill or in a grill pan like a giant kebab, finishing in the oven to cook through. While the pork is resting, warm the tortillas by wrapping them in foil and placing in the oven. Then just slice the meat and serve with condiments.

Ingredients

1kg pork scotch fillet cut into 1cm slices (ask your butcher to help or carefully cut store-bought steaks into two thinner slices)
warmed corn or flour tortillas, to serve

For the marinade

4 garlic cloves, peeled
1 x 227g can diced pineapple in juice
2 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp sweet paprika
2 tsp dried oregano
1½ tsp cumin powder
3 whole chipotle chillies in adobo
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Condiments (optional)

shredded cabbage
lime wedges
chopped white onion
chopped coriander
sour cream
queso fresco (Mexican cheese)
hot sauce
extra guacamole
pickled jalapeno slices

Method

1. Puree marinade ingredients in a blender until fairly smooth. Season the pork slices on both sides with salt and place in a bowl. Pour the marinade over the pork and coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least four hours and up to 24 hours. Stack the slices tightly together, kebab style, and run three or four skewers through them.
2. Remove the pork from the refrigerator about an hour before you want to start cooking so it comes to room temperature.
3. Preheat oven to 180C (160C fan-forced).
4. Heat a grill pan or a charcoal grill to medium heat and cook the pork, turning every few minutes to ensure it caramelises but doesn't burn. Once the pork is nicely coloured with grill marks and a bit of char on both sides, transfer it onto a baking sheet and finish in the oven for around 30-40 minutes (flipping it every 10 minutes), or until a meat thermometer inserted into the centre reads between 55C-60C.
5. Remove pork from the oven and allow it to rest for 10-15 minutes covered in a sheet of aluminium foil folded like a tent.
6. To serve, hold the skewers in one hand and use a sharp knife to cut thin slices off the side. Keep the pork warm and serve with warmed tortillas and a selection of condiments.
Tip: While the pork is resting, warm the tortillas by wrapping them in foil and placing in the oven.
Serve with my guacamole and banana, caramel and rum tres leches cake for a Mexican fiesta.