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Cook the Book: Tacos Al Pastor with Roasted Pineapple-Habanero Chile Salsa

Posted by Caroline Russock, April 27, 2009 at 2:00 PM

Photograph by Robyn Lee

Tacos al pastor, or "shepherd's tacos," are thought to have been inspired by Lebanese immigrants who came to Mexico City in the 1930s. Mexican taqueros cook pork shoulder on a vertical spit similar to Middle Eastern shawarma or the Turkish doner kebab. This recipe from Mark Miller's Tacos uses an overnight marinade of dried chiles, spices, orange juice, cola, and beer to impart a deeply satisfying sweet-savory flavor to the pork. Tacos al pastor are traditionally garnished with sliced pineapple. Miller recommends serving these tacos with flour tortillas, Roasted Pineapple-Habanero Chile Salsa, and either margaritas or dark Mexican beer.

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Tacos Al Pastor

- makes 24 tacos -
Some of the chiles used in this recipe might not be available at your local super market. Look for a market that stocks Mexican products or order from these online suppliers: Bueno Foods, New Mexican Catalog, or New Mexico Chili. Adapted from Mark Miller's Tacos.

Ingredients

40 dried guajillo chiles
20 dried ancho chiles
20 dried pasilla negro chiles
2 1/2 cups fresh orange juice
Grated zest of 1 orange
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
9 cloves garlic
1 1/2 tablespoons cumin seed, toasted and ground
1 1/2 tablespoons dried Mexican oregano, toasted and ground
1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons distilled vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
6 ounces cola
8 ounces Mexican beer
4 pounds pork shoulder, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
24 (5 1/2 inch)soft white corn tortillas, for serving
Caramelized diced pineapple (for garnish)

Procedure

1. Stem, seed, and rehydrate the dried chiles. See note, below. Drain and set aside, reserving the soaking liquid.

2. In a small saucepan, simmer the orange juice over medium-low heat until reduced by half; set aside. In the jar of a blender, puree the rehydrated chiles until smooth, adding some of the soaking water, if needed, to achieve a smooth consistency.

3. In a large bowl, add the reduced orange juice, pureed chiles, orange zest, brown sugar, garlic, cumin, oregano, salt, black pepper, vinegar, lime juice, cola, and beer and stir to mix well. Add the pork, cover, and marinate in the refrigerator overnight.

4. When ready to cook, remove the pork from the marinade and drain well. In a large, heavy skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Saute the pork pieces until meat is cooked through, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat and serve right away, or keep warm in the pan until ready to serve.

5. To serve, lay the tortillas side by side, open face and overlapping on a platter. Divide the filling equally between the tortillas and top with pineapple and salsa. Grab, fol, and eat right away. Or build your won taco; lay a tortilla, open face, in one hand. Spoon on some filling, top with pineapple and salsa, fold, and eat right away.

Note: Fill a pan about one-fourth the way up the sides with water and set on the stove. In a stainless steel bowl, place the chiles and just enough water to cover after pushing the chiles down (too much water will wash away the flavor). Rest the bowl on the pot of water and heat to just below boiling over medium heat, pressing the chiles down with a pot lid or plate. Remove from the heat and let soak until soft, 15 to 20 minutes. Use as directed in the recipe. (Some recipes may require that you reserve the cooking liquid to make a chile sauce; if the water is bitter, don't use it.)

Roasted Pineapple-Habanero Chile Salsa

- makes 3 1/2 cups -
Adapted from Mark Miller's Tacos.

Ingredients

1 pineapple (about 3 1/2 pounds), peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch thick rings
1 orange or red habanero, roasted, seeded and minced
1 sweet red bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into 1/8-inch dice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Procedure

1. In a large, heavy nonstick dry skillet, cook the pineapple slices (in batches, if necessary) over low heat until caramelized, 6 to 7 minutes per side. (It is important to cook the pineapple on low heat so the sugars in the fruit develop deep flavor, without any burning.) Remove from the heat and cut the pineapple into 1/8-inch dice.

2. In a large bowl, mix the diced pineapple with the chile, bell pepper, cilantro, and lime juice. Serve immediately for the freshest flavor, but you can make this salsa 1 to 3 hours ahead.

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Tags: Cook the Book, Mark Miller, Mexican, pineapple, pork, pork shoulder, tacos, tacos al pastor, Tacos by Mark Miller