Skillet Pork Al Pastor Tacos with Charred Pineapple and Lime
Al pastor is Mexico City's great street taco: pork soaked in a brick-red chile and achiote marinade, shaved crisp off a spit and finished with a sliver of charred pineapple. You don't need the spit. Thin-sliced pork and a screaming hot skillet get you the same crackly, caramelised edges in about ten minutes of cooking.
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Nutrition (per serving)
Al pastor is Mexico City's great street taco: pork soaked in a brick-red chile and achiote marinade, shaved crisp off a spit and finished with a sliver of charred pineapple. You don't need the spit. Thin-sliced pork and a screaming hot skillet get you the same crackly, caramelised edges in about ten minutes of cooking.
The two things that matter are thickness and heat. Slice the pork as thin as you can (twenty minutes in the freezer makes this easy) and cook it in batches so it sears instead of stewing. Char the pineapple in the dry pan first, because its sugars need direct heat to go from sweet to smoky, and that smoky sweetness is what cuts through the rich pork.
Step-by-step instructions
Blend the achiote paste, chipotle and adobo sauce, garlic, pineapple juice, vinegar, cumin, oregano and a teaspoon of salt until you have a smooth, brick-red marinade.
Toss the thinly sliced pork in the marinade until every piece is coated, then leave it to sit for 15 minutes while you prep the toppings.
Heat a cast iron skillet until very hot and char the pineapple rings in the dry pan for about 2 minutes a side, until blackened in patches. Dice them and set aside.
Add the oil to the same skillet and sear the pork in two batches, pressing it flat, for 3 to 4 minutes until the edges are crisp and caramelised. Chop it roughly on a board and toss with the charred pineapple.
Warm the tortillas in the hot pan, then pile each one with pork and pineapple and top with diced onion, cilantro and a squeeze of lime.
Leftover al pastor pork reheats beautifully in a dry skillet, where it crisps up even further. Pile it onto rice with a fried egg for lunch the next day, or fold it into a quesadilla with a handful of melted cheese.
Ingredients
- 1 lb (450g) boneless pork shoulder, sliced as thin as possible (freeze for 20 minutes first to make slicing easier)
- 2 tbsp achiote paste
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobo, plus 1 tbsp of the adobo sauce
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1/4 cup pineapple juice
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano (Mexican oregano if you have it)
- 4 thick rings of fresh pineapple, cored
- 1/2 white onion, finely diced
- 1 small bunch cilantro, roughly chopped
- 8 small corn tortillas
- 2 limes, cut into wedges
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- salt
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Step-by-Step
- 1
Blend the achiote paste, chipotle and adobo sauce, garlic, pineapple juice, vinegar, cumin, oregano and a teaspoon of salt until you have a smooth, brick-red marinade.
- 2
Toss the thinly sliced pork in the marinade until every piece is coated, then leave it to sit for 15 minutes while you prep the toppings.
- 3
Heat a cast iron skillet until very hot and char the pineapple rings in the dry pan for about 2 minutes a side, until blackened in patches. Dice them and set aside.
- 4
Add the oil to the same skillet and sear the pork in two batches, pressing it flat, for 3 to 4 minutes until the edges are crisp and caramelised. Chop it roughly on a board and toss with the charred pineapple.
- 5
Warm the tortillas in the hot pan, then pile each one with pork and pineapple and top with diced onion, cilantro and a squeeze of lime.
Recipe
Skillet Pork Al Pastor Tacos with Charred Pineapple and Lime
Ingredients
- 1 lb (450g) boneless pork shoulder, sliced as thin as possible (freeze for 20 minutes first to make slicing easier)
- 2 tbsp achiote paste
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobo, plus 1 tbsp of the adobo sauce
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1/4 cup pineapple juice
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano (Mexican oregano if you have it)
- 4 thick rings of fresh pineapple, cored
- 1/2 white onion, finely diced
- 1 small bunch cilantro, roughly chopped
- 8 small corn tortillas
- 2 limes, cut into wedges
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- salt
Instructions
- 1
Blend the achiote paste, chipotle and adobo sauce, garlic, pineapple juice, vinegar, cumin, oregano and a teaspoon of salt until you have a smooth, brick-red marinade.
- 2
Toss the thinly sliced pork in the marinade until every piece is coated, then leave it to sit for 15 minutes while you prep the toppings.
- 3
Heat a cast iron skillet until very hot and char the pineapple rings in the dry pan for about 2 minutes a side, until blackened in patches. Dice them and set aside.
- 4
Add the oil to the same skillet and sear the pork in two batches, pressing it flat, for 3 to 4 minutes until the edges are crisp and caramelised. Chop it roughly on a board and toss with the charred pineapple.
- 5
Warm the tortillas in the hot pan, then pile each one with pork and pineapple and top with diced onion, cilantro and a squeeze of lime.
Nutrition Facts
* The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.