Braised Tacos Al Pastor

What is al Pastor?

Al pastor is a Mexican preparation of pork seasoned and cooked on a vertical spit. It’s served shaved off the vertical spit with a sharp knife and onto corn tortillas for tacos with a simple topping for a popular street food. Common pairings with the tacos are pineapple, onion, cilantro, jalapeño and a squeeze of lime juice. While this version is made in the oven rather than the traditional spit method it uses the same flavor profile.

Key Ingredients in This Recipe

• Pork – Pork shoulder comes from the front shoulder of a pig. It’s best slowly cooked so the meat has a change to break down and become tender. Pork butt also work in this recipe. When buying pork for this recipe know that you are going to end up with roughly half of the weight in the finished meat as it cooks and the fat renders or fatty pieces are discarded.
• Pineapple – Pineapple juice is used in the braising liquid for the pork while grilled pineapple is later chopped and added to the top of the tacos. Pineapple slices are typically cooked on the spit with al pastor pork so I tried to mimic that flavor.
• Chilies – The main flavors of the braising liquid in the pork comes from a combination of guajillo chilies and ancho chili. They add a smokey flavor and mild heat to the recipe. Dried chilies are often found on the end-caps of aisles in grocery stores or by the Mexican ingredients. If you cannot locate the dried chilies in stores I recommend ordering them online. Reconstitute the chilies in hot water to soften them again before blending them in the sauce.
• Seasonings – A combination of annatto (achiote), oregano, cumin, black pepper, cloves and cinnamon seasons the pork, complementing the chilies and pineapple. The annatto or achiote (the two names are interchangeable) is what gives the al pastor pork the signature bright red color. It can be found in the spice aisle of most grocery stores or at a Mexican market. If needed it can be substituted with paprika.

How to Make Braised Tacos al Pastor

1. Soften the chilies. Preheat oven to 325ºF (170ºC). Soak dried chilies in hot water for 10 minutes, until soft. Drain and discard water.
2. Make the sauce. Blend softened chilies with onion, garlic, oregano, cumin, pepper, cloves, cinnamon, pineapple juice, orange juice, and vinegar until smooth.
3. Brown the pork. Season pork with salt. In a Dutch oven, heat oil over medium. Brown pork in batches, about 6 minutes per batch. Set aside.
4. Build the braise. Deglaze the pot with chicken stock. Return pork to the pot and pour sauce over the top. Add pineapple chunks.
5. Braise. Bring to a simmer, then cover and transfer to oven. Cook for about 2½ hours, flipping the pork halfway through, until tender.
6. Shred the pork. Let the pork cool slightly, then shred with two forks. Stir the meat back into the braising liquid.
7. Make onion topping: Mix diced pineapple, onion, cilantro, and lime juice. Season with salt.
8. Warm tortillas. Stack two mini tortillas and warm in a skillet or on a griddle until pliable.
9. Assemble tacos. Add about ¼ cup of pork to each tortilla. Top with pineapple-onion mixture and optional avocado-tomatillo salsa verde.

Tips and Tricks for This Recipe

Swaps and Substitutions

• Substitute the annatto or achiote paste with paprika if needed for the marinade.

How to Prep this Recipe In Advance

• The braising liquid can be made and stored refrigerated in an airtight container until ready to make the al pastor for up to a week in advance.
• The pork can be made in advance and stored in a resealable airtight container for up to 4 days in advance.

How to Store Leftover Meat

Store leftover meat in a resealable airtight container with a few ladles of the braising liquid for up to 4 days in advance. To reheat either microwave or arrange on a baking sheet and broil in the oven until the meat is heated.

Other Recipes to Try

If you enjoy this braised tacos al pastor recipe, I recommend checking out some of these:

• Spiced Cauliflower “Steaks”
• Smokey Chipotle Salsa
• Carne Adobada Tri-Tip Tacos