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Tacos Al Pastor Recipe

Name: Leon Restaurant & Bars Tacos Al Pastor Recipe
Cook time: 3 h 30 min
Total time: 3 h 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1.5 lb boneless pork shoulder, thinly sliced or cut into 1/4–1/2 inch strips; 4 pieces dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded; 1 piece dried ancho or pasilla chile, stemmed and seeded (optional, for deeper color); 1 cup pineapple juice; 1 cup fresh pineapple, cored and diced (plus extra slices for grilling); 2 tbsp white vinegar; 1 tbsp orange juice; 4 cloves garlic cloves, peeled; 1 tbsp packed achiote (annatto) paste; 1 tsp smoked paprika; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp dried oregano (preferably Mexican oregano); 0.25 tsp ground cloves; 1.5 tsp salt; 0.5 tsp black pepper; 2 tbsp vegetable oil (for cooking); 12 pieces small corn tortillas (6-inch); 0.5 cup white onion, finely chopped; 0.5 cup fresh cilantro, chopped; 0.5 cup fresh pineapple, finely diced; 2 pieces limes, cut into wedges; 0.75 cup salsa roja or favorite hot sauce; 0.25 cup cotija cheese or queso fresco, crumbled (optional); 0.25 tsp salt (for finishing pineapple/onion if desired)

Inspired by Leon Restaurant & Bar

Time3h 30m

Serves4

Make Tacos Al Pastor Recipe in just 3h 30m. Get the full recipe with step-by-step instructions at pekinthechef.com.

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Ingredients

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Marinade & Pork

1 1/2 lb boneless pork shoulder, thinly sliced or cut into 1/4–1/2 inch strips

4 pieces dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded

1 piece dried ancho or pasilla chile, stemmed and seeded (optional, for deeper color)

1 cup Pineapple juice

1 cup fresh pineapple, cored and diced (plus extra slices for grilling)

2 tbsp white vinegar

1 tbsp Orange juice

4 cloves garlic cloves, peeled

1 tbsp packed achiote (annatto) paste

1 tsp Smoked paprika

1 tsp Ground cumin

1 tsp dried oregano (preferably Mexican oregano)

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1 1/2 tsp Celtic sea salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

2 tbsp vegetable oil (for cooking)

Toppings & Assembly

12 pieces small corn tortillas (6-inch)

1/2 cup white onion, finely chopped

1/2 cup Fresh cilantro, chopped

1/2 cup fresh pineapple, finely diced

2 pieces limes, cut into wedges

3/4 cup salsa roja or favorite hot sauce

1/4 cup cotija cheese or queso fresco, crumbled (optional)

1/4 tsp salt (for finishing pineapple/onion if desired)

Method

Marinade & Pork

Prepare chiles

Remove stems and seeds from guajillo and ancho/pasilla chiles. Toast chiles in a dry skillet over medium heat for 20–30 seconds per side until fragrant but not burned. Transfer to a bowl and cover with hot water; soak 15 minutes until softened. Reserve 1/4 cup of the soaking liquid.

Make marinade

In a blender, combine rehydrated chiles (drained, but include up to 1/4 cup soaking liquid if blender is struggling), pineapple juice, diced pineapple, white vinegar, orange juice, garlic cloves, achiote paste, smoked paprika, ground cumin, oregano, ground cloves, 1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Blend until very smooth, about 1–2 minutes. Taste and adjust salt if needed.

Marinate pork

Place the thinly sliced pork in a large bowl or resealable plastic bag. Pour the marinade over the pork and massage so each piece is coated. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours, ideally overnight, to allow the flavors to penetrate.

Cook pork

When ready to cook, remove pork from fridge 20–30 minutes before cooking. Heat a large heavy skillet or cast-iron pan over medium-high heat and add 1–2 tbsp vegetable oil. Working in batches if necessary, add the marinated pork in a single layer (allow excess marinade to drip off) and cook until edges are caramelized and pork is cooked through, about 4–6 minutes per side for thicker strips or 6–10 minutes total if using small pieces. Stir occasionally to brown evenly. If marinade leftover causes steaming, pour off excess liquid and continue to sear until it reduces and caramelizes. For extra char, finish under a broiler or on a hot grill for 2–3 minutes, placing cooked pork on a foil-lined tray.

Add pineapple

During the last 3–4 minutes of cooking, add the extra pineapple slices or the reserved diced pineapple to the pan to caramelize and warm through. Toss with the cooked pork so pineapple pieces are slightly charred and sticky.

Rest and shred

Remove pork and pineapple from heat and let rest 5 minutes. Using two forks or tongs, coarsely chop or shred the pork into bite-size pieces suitable for tacos. Taste and adjust seasoning with remaining 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper if needed.

Toppings & Assembly

Prepare toppings

While pork rests, warm tortillas: heat a dry skillet or comal over medium-high heat and warm each tortilla 20–30 seconds per side until pliable and lightly charred. Keep wrapped in a clean towel to stay warm. Finely chop onion and cilantro and combine in a small bowl. Dice additional pineapple into small pieces (if not already used). Cut limes into wedges.

Assemble tacos

Place 2–3 tablespoons of the shredded al pastor pork on each warm tortilla. Top with a pinch of chopped onion, cilantro, and a small spoonful of diced pineapple. Sprinkle lightly with crumbled cotija if using. Add salsa roja or hot sauce to taste and finish with a squeeze of fresh lime.

Serve

Serve immediately while hot. Provide extra lime wedges, salsa, and more chopped onion/cilantro on the side. Leftover pork keeps well refrigerated for 3–4 days and reheats in a skillet until crisp on edges.