Original Pastor Recipe
Try this marinade brought from the streets of México to longview and vancouver. it´s the #1 most popular taco in México.
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Ingredients
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Marinade / Adobo
Meat
Finish & Serving
Method
Marinade / Adobo
- 1
Toast chiles
Lightly toast the guajillo and ancho/pasilla chiles in a dry skillet over medium heat 20–30 seconds per side, pressing gently until fragrant. Do not burn — remove when soft and aromatic.
- 2
Rehydrate chiles
Place toasted chiles in a heatproof bowl and cover with 1 cup of very hot water. Let soak 15 minutes until softened. Reserve 1/4 cup of the soaking liquid and drain the rest.
- 3
Blend adobo
In a blender combine the rehydrated chiles, reserved 1/4 cup soaking liquid, achiote paste, pineapple juice, white vinegar, orange juice, brown sugar, garlic cloves, oregano, cumin, black pepper, ground cloves, 2 tsp salt and 2 tbsp vegetable oil. Blend until completely smooth, pausing to scrape down sides. If mixture is too thick, add up to 2 tbsp water or more reserved soaking liquid to reach a loose, pourable marinade (about the consistency of heavy cream).
- 4
Strain (optional)
For a silky adobo, push the blended mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing with the back of a spoon to extract as much flavor as possible. Discard solids.
Meat
- 5
Prepare pork
If not pre-sliced, partially freeze the pork shoulder for 30–45 minutes to firm it up, then slice across the grain into very thin 1/8–1/4" slices. Place slices in a large non-reactive dish or resealable bag.
- 6
Marinate pork
Pour the strained adobo over the pork, using your hands or tongs to thoroughly coat every slice. Press meat down so all pieces are submerged. Refrigerate and marinate at least 4 hours, preferably overnight (8–12 hours) for best flavor. If short on time, marinate 1–2 hours.
- 7
- 8
Cook pork (pan/grill)
Heat a large cast-iron skillet or flat top over medium-high heat and add 1–2 tbs vegetable oil. Remove excess marinade from meat (reserve some to baste) and add pork in a single layer, working in batches to avoid overcrowding. Cook 3–4 minutes per side until edges are caramelized and internal temperature reaches 145–160°F (63–71°C). If using pineapple slices, sear them alongside until caramelized, about 1–2 minutes per side. As you cook additional batches, chop or rough-slice cooked meat and return to skillet with a splash of reserved marinade and pineapple to warm and meld flavors.
Finish & Serving
- 9
Warm tortillas
Warm corn tortillas on a dry skillet or comal over medium heat about 20–30 seconds per side until pliable and lightly charred in spots. Keep wrapped in a clean towel to stay warm.
- 10
Assemble tacos
Thinly slice or chop the cooked pastor meat into small bite-sized pieces. Place 2–3 tablespoons of meat on each warm tortilla, top with a bit of diced pineapple, a sprinkle of diced onion and chopped cilantro, and a pinch of salt to taste. Serve with lime wedges.
- 11