Marinade Pork Recipe

Prepare chiles

Remove stems and seeds from guajillo and ancho chiles. Wipe with a damp cloth to remove dust. Tear into large pieces.

In a small pot, bring 250 ml water to a low simmer. Add the chile pieces and soak 10 minutes until softened but not falling apart. Drain and reserve 60 ml of soaking liquid.

Into a blender add the softened chiles, reserved 60 ml chile soaking liquid, achiote paste, pineapple juice, orange juice, white vinegar, garlic cloves, ground cumin, dried oregano, ground black pepper, ground clove, salt, chopped chipotle (if using), olive oil, chopped pineapple, and lime juice.

Blend on high until completely smooth, about 1–2 minutes. If too thick, add up to 2 tbs (30 ml) extra water or reserved soaking liquid to reach a pourable but thick sauce.

Taste and adjust seasoning: add more salt for balance or a touch more vinegar or lime if it needs brightness. Blend again briefly if adjusted.

Trim excess fat from the pork shoulder and cut into thin strips about 1/4" (6 mm) thick or into 1/2" cubes if you prefer. Lightly season the pork with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper and toss to coat.

Place the pork in a large nonreactive bowl or zip-top bag. Pour the prepared adobo marinade over the pork, ensuring all pieces are coated. Use enough marinade so pork is mostly submerged or well coated (reserve any extra marinade if desired).

Seal the bag or cover the bowl and refrigerate at least 4 hours, preferably overnight (8–12 hours) for best flavor penetration. For a quick option, marinate 1 hour at room temperature but flavor will be less developed.

About 30 minutes before cooking, remove the pork from the refrigerator to come closer to room temperature and allow excess marinade to drip off.

Preheat a grill, skillet, or broiler to high. If grilling, oil grates lightly; if using a skillet, heat 1 tbs neutral oil over medium-high until shimmering.

Cook the pork in batches to avoid overcrowding. For thin strips: cook 2–3 minutes per side until edges are charred and pork is cooked through (internal temp 70–75°C / 160–165°F). For thicker pieces: sear 3–4 minutes per side then finish until cooked through.

If you reserved extra marinade, bring it to a vigorous boil in a small saucepan for 3–4 minutes to kill bacteria, then brush lightly on meat during the last minute of cooking to glaze (optional).

Grill or sear pineapple slices until caramelized, about 2 minutes per side. Chop into small pieces for tacos.

Let cooked pork rest 5 minutes, then chop or slice into bite-sized pieces suitable for tacos.

Warm corn tortillas on the grill or in a dry skillet. Fill each tortilla with pork, a few pieces of grilled pineapple, chopped white onion, and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

Leftovers: store cooled pork in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3–4 days or freeze up to 3 months.