Al Pastor Recipe – The Massive Man’s World ®


Learn to make tacos al pastor at residence utilizing your good previous grill. Marinated utilizing all the standard components, this al pastor recipe options the genuine Mexican taste that comes with the benefit of cooking the meat on the grill. 

tacos al pastor.

You realize by now that we completely love Mexican cooking. Mulitas, tacos dorados, and hen tinga are a few of our favourite recipes by far. 

Tacos al pastor is one other Mexican dish that has conquered our hearts. It options pork shoulder slices marinated in pineapple juice. The meat is then grilled and sliced and served in tacos, for essentially the most unbelievable taste explosion!

Desk of Contents
  1. What’s al pastor
  2. Why you’ll love this recipe
  3. Components wanted
  4. Easy methods to make tacos al pastor
  5. Tricks to make the very best recipe
  6. What to serve with al pastor
  7. Storage directions
  8. Really useful instruments to make this recipe
  9. Extra scrumptious Mexican recipes to strive
  10. Continuously requested questions
  11. Al Pastor Recipe

What’s al pastor

Translated from Spanish, al pastor means ‘shepherd type’. Developed in central Mexico, al pastor denotes spit-roasted slices of pork. It may also be used to consult with dishes made with al pastor meat, resembling al pastor tacos. 

Earlier than being grilled, the pork is first marinated with spices, dried chili peppers, pineapple, and achiote paste. 

Why you’ll love this recipe

  • Explosive taste. The marinade for al pastor meat is nothing like you could have tried earlier than. It’s smoky, sizzling, tangy, and candy on the identical time. 
  • Excellent for events. In case you are planning on having a taco bar to your subsequent get together, contemplate making some al pastor meat because it’s nice for feeding a crowd. 
  • Could be made forward of time. You may prepare dinner the al pastor meat forward of time and use it to make a fast lunch or dinner for the approaching days. 

If you happen to love Mexican flavors and have a grill, is there even a motive to skip this recipe?

al pastor.

Components wanted

In case you have determined to make al pastor tacos, take a look at this checklist and store for the components you could not have at residence. 

  • Pork. Boneless pork shoulder reduce into ¼ inch slices. 
  • Pineapple juice. The important thing ingredient of the al pastor marinade. It provides the pork its signature tangy taste. 
  • Pineapple. Contemporary pineapple slices for grilling. 
  • Lime juice. So as to add a citrusy be aware to the marinade and assist tenderize the meat. 
  • White vinegar. Apple cider vinegar will work too. 
  • Onion. Roughly chopped. 
  • Garlic. Alter the variety of garlic cloves relying in your preferences. 
  • Achiote paste. One other key ingredient for making al pastor. Achiote paste is a red-colored mix of spices. It accommodates annatto seeds, garlic, cumin, cinnamon, and clove. 
  • Spices. I exploit a combination of cumin, cinnamon, black pepper, dried oregano, and guajillo chili powder for this recipe. The latter is reasonably sizzling. Customise the quantity you employ relying in your stage of warmth tolerance. 
  • Salt. To style. 

Easy methods to make tacos al pastor

Step 1 – Slice and marinate the pork. Add pineapple juice, vinegar, lime juice, spices, salt, achiote paste, and guajillo powder to a blender. Mix every part collectively and pour the combination over the slices of pork shoulder. 

al pastor marinade.

Therapeutic massage the meat to coat all items with the marinade, then cowl the bowl with cling wrap and refrigerate for round 4 hours. 

pork in marinade.

Step 2 – Grill the pork. Take away the pork from the fridge and permit it to come back to room temperature. Within the meantime, preheat the grill to medium-high. Grill the pork slices for 7-8 minutes per facet. Enable the meat to relaxation for 10 minutes earlier than slicing it. 

al pastor on grill.

Step 3 – Assemble the tacos. Grill the recent pineapple slices till charred on either side. To assemble the tacos, put al pastor pork on the tortillas together with grilled pineapples and different frequent taco toppings, together with avocado, cilantro, and lime. 

tacos al pastor on tray.

Tricks to make the very best recipe

  • Select the very best cuts of pork. Pork shoulder or pork butt is important (like in carnitas). These two cuts are the very best to yield good al pastor.
  • Don’t skip the marinating. Even if you’re not utilizing the genuine cooking method for the meat, utilizing pineapple juice creates the wanted tangy candy taste. 
  • Bast the meat frequently. Don’t throw out any extra marinade. Use it to brush the meat as it’s grilling.
  • Let the meat relaxation. Enable 5 minutes of resting time as soon as the pork is grilled to let the juices redistribute and yield tremendous moist meat.
  • Use bottled pineapple juice. Whereas recent pineapple juice sounds higher in principle, it additionally accommodates highly effective enzymes that will depart the pork mushy.

What to serve with al pastor

In case you have made al pastor meat for tacos,  contemplate serving some toppings to go together with it. Listed here are just a few concepts. 

Storage directions

To retailer. Retailer leftover al pastor meat in an hermetic container within the fridge for 3-4 days. 

To reheat. Reheat the sliced meat on the range over medium warmth. Add a touch of oil or fats to the pan if the meat appears to be too dry. 

  • Charcoal grill. The most effective instrument to prepare dinner this pork.
  • Grill pan. If you happen to don’t have a correct grill, you should use a grill pan and prepare dinner the pork over the range.
  • Tongs. To show the meat.
al pastor tacos.

Extra scrumptious Mexican recipes to strive

Continuously requested questions

Is al pastor sauce spicy?

Made with related components because the al pastor marinade, al pastor sauce is reasonably spicy. 

Is al pastor all the time pork?

Normally, al pastor is all the time made with pork. Nonetheless, hen and steak may also be used.

Can I make al pastor with out pineapple?

Whereas pineapple is a signature ingredient within the dish, you’ll be able to change it out for one more citric fruit like oranges or lemons.

Stop your display from going darkish

  • In a blender, add pineapple juice, vinegar, lime juice, onion, garlic, cumin, oregano, cinnamon, salt, pepper, achiote paste, and Guajillo chili powder. Mix every part collectively.

  • Pour the marinade over the meat and blend collectively. Cowl the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at the least 10 minutes or as much as 4 hours. If chilling for 4 hours, take away the meat from the fridge half-hour earlier than cooking.

  • Preheat the grill to medium-high. Grill the meat for 7-8 minutes per facet till barely charred. Grill the pineapples afterward till flippantly charred on either side and put aside.

  •  Let the meat relaxation for 10 minutes earlier than slicing into chew items.

  • Serve the meat on tacos with sliced grilled pineapples, purple onion, avocado, recent cilantro, and lime.

Serving: 1servingEnergy: 275kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 42gFats: 7gSodium: 1847mgPotassium: 816mgFiber: 1gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 35IUVitamin C: 15mgCalcium: 46mgIron: 2mgNET CARBS: 9g

Disclosure: This submit could include affiliate hyperlinks. I could earn a small fee for my endorsement, advice, testimonial, and/or hyperlink to any services or products from this web site.



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