El Pastor Tacos Recipe

Prepare chiles

Place guajillo and ancho chiles in a bowl and cover with hot (not boiling) water. Soak for 15 minutes until softened. Drain, reserving a little soaking liquid.

Blend marinade

In a blender add drained chiles, achiote paste, white vinegar, orange juice, pineapple juice, roughly chopped onion, chopped fresh pineapple, garlic cloves, dried oregano, ground cumin, ground coriander, whole cloves, black pepper and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Add 2–3 tablespoons of the reserved chile soaking liquid if needed for smooth blending. Blend until completely smooth, about 1–2 minutes. Taste and adjust salt — marinade should be bright, slightly tangy and balanced.

Marinate pork

Place the pork pieces in a large zip-top bag or nonreactive bowl. Pour the marinade over the pork, pressing to remove air from the bag if using. Massage so all pieces are coated. Refrigerate at least 4 hours, preferably overnight (8–12 hours) for best flavor.

Bring to room temperature

Remove pork from fridge 30 minutes before cooking to take the chill off for even cooking.

Cook pork (stovetop or oven)

Option A - Stovetop: Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a heavy skillet or cast-iron pan over medium-high heat. Working in batches, remove pork from marinade (reserve marinade) and sear pieces until deeply browned on most sides, 6–8 minutes per batch. After searing all batches, return all pork to the pan, add 1/4 cup reserved marinade and 1/4 cup water or pineapple juice, reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until pork is tender and cooked through, about 20–30 minutes. Option B - Oven: Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C). Spread seared pork in a braising dish, add 1/2 cup reserved marinade and 1/2 cup water or pineapple juice, cover tightly and roast until very tender, about 1–1.25 hours. In both methods, finish uncovered the last 10 minutes to concentrate flavors and brown edges.

Shred and crisp

When pork is tender, remove from braising liquid and shred with two forks or chop into bite-sized pieces. Reserve some pan juices. To get the classic al pastor texture, heat a skillet over medium-high with a drizzle of oil, add shredded pork in a single layer and let it sit without stirring for 2–3 minutes to crisp; toss and crisp additional sides for another 2–3 minutes. Deglaze with a splash of reserved braising liquid or pineapple juice if it seems dry and to coat the meat.

Prepare toppings

Finely dice the white onion and chop the cilantro. If using fresh pineapple for topping, cut into small cubes and lightly char in a hot skillet for 2–3 minutes to caramelize sugars (optional). Season pineapple and onion with a pinch of salt to taste.

Warm tortillas

Warm corn tortillas on a dry skillet or comal over medium-high heat for about 20–30 seconds per side until pliable and slightly charred. Keep wrapped in a clean towel to stay warm.

Assemble tacos

Place 2–3 tablespoons of shredded, crisped al pastor onto each warm tortilla. Top with a small spoonful of diced charred pineapple, a sprinkle of diced onion and chopped cilantro. Squeeze a wedge of lime over each taco and finish with a light pinch of salt if desired.

Serve

Serve immediately while hot with extra lime wedges and any additional salsas you like.