If you are from Chicago, you know of the Taco Guy. Some of us have been lucky enough to eat his tacos – at someone’s quinceanera or back yard BBQ party. You know that is the most number of tacos you have every eaten in a single sitting – its that good. This recipe will get your pork tasting just the way you remember those tacos, without the spit or slow roasting. Pair it with some home made white corn tortillas and spicy pineapple salsa, and you are guaranteed to take the stage at your own BBQ party.
The recipe for Spicy Pineapple Salsa can be found here.
Taco Guy Al Pastor Tacos
- Cook Time: 45 min + 12 hours for marination
- Persons: 4
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Ingredients
- 1 lb pork, Boston Butt, thinly sliced into strips or steaks (1/4 inch thick)
- 1/3 cup water
- 3 guajillo chiles
- 1 arbol chile
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1/3 cup white vinegar
- 1/2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp achiote paste
- 1/4 cup onion
- 1 cup fresh pineapple
- 4 tsp salt
- Instructions
- Boil the water on the stove. Add in the dry chile peppers and boil for 10-15min to rehydrate. Remove from heat and let cool completely
- While the peppers and water cool, cut the pork into either 1/4 inch steaks for grilling, or 1/4 inch by 1.5 inch strips to fold onto skewers (the picture is on skewers).
- Place the peppers and water into a blender along with all remaining ingredients (except for the pork of course) and blend till the mixture is essentially a liquid.
- Put the pork and marinade into a zip lock bag and refrigerate for 12 hours. The marinade itself can be frozen for 3 months. The pork and marinate in the zip lock bag can be immediately frozen for up to 3 weeks. When you thaw it, the marination process will begin.
- Remove the pork and marinate from the fridge and allow to come to room temperature.
- Now its time to get the charcoal going. It will take 30 min for the charcoal to be ready. It should be glowing red with an ashy coating on top when it is ready.
- If going the skewer method, skewer the pork similar to the picture. Add chunks of pineapple between some of the pork while skewering.
- Prepare the baste by combining 1/3 cup marinade with 1 tbsp olive oil and a pinch of salt.
- Once the charcoal is ready, start grilling by arranging each skewer about 3-4 inches from the charcoal. If grilling directly (no skewers), place the steaks about 5 inches from the charcoal
- Apply the baste and rotate the skewer. Repeat this for all skewers.
- Grill for 4-5 minutes per side (total of 8 to 10 min). Continue to baste and rotate regularly while grilling. Cook for the same time if not using skewers – the distance from the charcoal will help adjust for the right doneness. You can always remove a piece and check for doneness.
- Chop and serve with corn tortillas and spicy pineapple salsa
Where Do I Get the Ingredients?
- Guajillo Chiles – El Mexicano Brand – Amazon Link, or grab it from most Mexican grocers.
- Arbol Chiles – El Mexicano Brand – Amazon Link, or grab it from most Mexican grocers.
- Achiote Paste – El Mexicano Brand – Amazon Link, or grab it from most Mexican grocers.
What if I Want Tacos in the Winter?
We are only human – there is no avoiding tacos. Anything that says grill on charcoal can be simply translated to cooking in the broiler – given you have a strong broiler. This means, be prepared from some trial and error till you figure out how much time works in your oven. Set the broiler to high heat and arrange the shelf to be the same distance from the heating elements (usually at the top of your oven) as the coal. Put in one or two pieces on a heavy tray or cast iron skillet and cook for the same time indicated in the recipe. Check the result by cutting into the meat. Adjust your cooking time to suit your oven, and cook the remainder of the pork!
