Gallery: The Food Lab: How To Make Tacos Al Pastor At Home

Step 5: Toast Chilies
Toast some fresh dried chilies (ancho and pasilla or guajillo) in a large skillet until puffed, pliable, and fragrant.
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Step 6: Add liquid
Add chicken stock to start them softening, then transfer the mixture to a bowl and set aside.
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Step 7: Toast Aromatics
Toast your aromatics (cumin, Mexican oregano, and achiote) in oil to help develop and extract their flavor.
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Step 8: Blend
Transfer all the marinade ingredients (including some raw garlic, chipotle chilies, vinegar, salt and sugar) to a blender and blend until smooth.
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Step 9: Add to Pork
Pour the thick marinade over the pork slices.
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Step 10: Massage it In
Massage the marinade into the meat, making sure every piece is coated.
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Step 11: Pack it
Pack the marinated meat into a disposable aluminum loaf pan, one thin layer at a time.
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Step 12: Add Bacon
Add a layer of bacon for every layer or two of meat. The cured bacon will add fat and juiciness, without actually overwhelming the intense marinade.
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Step 13: Let it Rest
Wrap the loaf tightly in plastic wrap and let it rest for the marinade to start curing the meat. Ideally, this should take place over teh course of a day or two.
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Step 14: Cook and Cool
Roast the meat in a 275°F oven until it is completely tender, then let it cool, again, preferably overnight. The next day, slice it really thin.
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Step 15: Brush Pineapples
Brush some large chunks of pineapple with the exuded juices and fat from the loaf pan. Place them on a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil.
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Step 16: Roast the Pineapple
Roast the pineapple in a hot oven until tender and lightly charred. This will enhance their sweetness.
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Step 17: Crisp it Up
Heat up some of the rendred fat from the loaf pan in a cast iron skillet, then add the meat, allowing it to cook until crisp on many surfaces. You can add back some of the exuded juices from the loaf pan to moisten the meat if desired.
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Step 18: Serve
Serve the meat with warm tortillas, roasted pineapple pieces, onions, cilantro, salsa, and lime wedges.
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Ready to Eat
Crisp, chili-flavored, sweet, succulent and juicy. Tacos al pastor are one of the pinnacles of the snack truck form.
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Step 1: Slice the Roast
Start with a boneless pork sirloin roast (or a blade end roast) and slice it as thin as you can with a sharp knife.
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Slice 2: Ready to Pound
To pound the meat, place it inside a zipper-lock bag that's been split in half along the edges (to make it easier to get meat in and out).
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Step 3: Pound it
Smash the meat with the bottom of a skillet repeatedly until it's under a quarter of an inch.
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Step 4: Lift carefully
Lift up the meat and transfer it to a large bowl. Repeat with the rest of the meat.
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