Al Pastor’s homemade recipe I am a culinary blog – univers-japon-shop

Is there anything as satisfying and delicious as making your own tacos at home? And if we talk about tacos, the best thing to do at home is al pastor.

Your local Mexican restaurant will always have the best tacos al pastor, but for those times when you can’t get out, this recipe is so good you’ll feel like you’re back where your taco heart belongs.

what is a shepherd

Al pastor is a Mexican dish made with slow-roasted pork on a vertical spit. Vertical roasters are often associated with Middle Eastern cuisine and this one is no exception: legend has it that Lebanese immigrants brought the cooking method to Mexico, where they combined it with the traditional adobada to make the genius known as Pastor.

It is served in all kinds of dishes, in cakes/sandwiches, pizzas and even over rice, but the most famous way to serve it is in tacos al pastor. Crispy smoked pork is sliced ​​on the fly with a razor-sharp knife while flamed crispy on the vertical rotisserie. The meat falls directly into each taco and is topped with a hint of slow-roasted pineapple. It’s heaven in a little tortilla.

Since you probably don’t have a flame-fed vertical rotisserie at home, you can’t replicate it 100% perfectly. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have an amazing and equally good version at home, especially if you’re far from Mexico right now.

The best homemade al pastor

Why it’s the best homemade al pastor recipe: It’s smoky, sweet, and super easy. I have tried many recipes on the internet and none of them really come close to what I love about al pastor: the smoky finish and crispy edges.

This recipe has been in my back pocket for a long time. It’s our favorite for taco night, but I’ve never made it until now because I always thought the ingredients were a little hard to come by. It’s worth it, this recipe is simple, tasty and really comes close to the real deal on the street.

Pastor ingredients

guajillo chiles

Guajillos are dried mirasol chiles that are sweet, smoky, and slightly spicy. One of the most common chiles in Mexican cuisine and one of our favorites. I have found that the easiest way to buy the best quality chiles is online, where they are far superior to anything you won’t find in a good Mexican grocery store.

Annatto paste

An achiote-based spice blend that pairs beautifully with everything. Not spicy at all, just deeply flavorful. My favorite brand is El Yucateco. From a stain perspective, annatto is just as bad as turmeric, so be careful not to stain your clothing or white porous surfaces.

Chipotle peppers in adobo

These are smoked spicy dried chipotle peppers (chipotle is smoked jalapeno) in an adobo sauce, a mild blend of tomatoes, vinegar, and spices. This recipe uses a whole can. Most people won’t find the chipotle in the adobo very hot, but if you don’t prefer the spiciness of the jalapeno, it might be best to sauté a couple of pepper pods inside. although.

canned pineapple

Al pastor is traditionally served with grilled pineapple sliced ​​from the top of the vertical spit. This recipe calls for pineapple juice anyway, so I prefer to use canned pineapple chunks and roast them, rather than dealing with a whole pineapple. Most 13.5-oz./398 mL cans will produce exactly 1/2 cup of juice, which is called for in this recipe.

corn or flour tortillas

Many people prefer corn, but if you live in the Southwest, you know that (fresh) flour is great. When I’m not around really good flour tortillas, I try to buy locally made corn tortillas, but sometimes you’re in a food desert and don’t have many options besides national brands. In these cases, Mission is my go-to, for both corn and flour. Look for a street taco size.

how to make a shepherd

1. Soak your peppers. Guajillos are dried and soaking makes them soft and easy to plant.
2. Cut and season your pork. I try to choose as thin a slice as possible, so there is more surface area to soak up the marinade.
3. Make the marinade. Blend the guajillos with the garlic, sugar, achiote, adobo, and pineapple juice until smooth.
4. Sailor. Marinate your pork for at least 30 minutes, but better yet, overnight.
5. Roast. You probably don’t have a vertical rotisserie at home, so the best way to get that combination of soft, pliable interiors and crisp, smoky edges is to layer the pork in a single layer and roast at 500ºF until done. Don’t forget to roast your pineapples too (on a separate baking sheet).

How to make shepherd’s tacos

1. Prepare your toppings. Dice the onions, chop the cilantro, slice the jalapeños and top with the sauces.
2. Cut it. Roughly chop the pork so that most pieces are about 1/2″ x 1/2″.
3. Prepare your shepherd. Frying it is optional but it really intensifies the flavors, not to mention it’s nice and piping hot.
4. Prepare your tortillas. If you are using flour tortillas, you should bake them now. If corn, cover 10-12 at a time with a damp paper towel and microwave for 30 seconds (or use a tortilla warmer like we do), then let steam another 30 seconds before building.
5. Build and enjoy! Top with grilled pineapple and any other toppings you like.

spice level

It’s not a spicy dish, but if you’re the type of person whose black pepper borders on heat, you might want to skip a chipotle pepper or two from the can. If you really hate spices, you’ll also want to plant the guajillos. We use them for the smoky flavor in this recipe, so you can remove all the seeds if you like. Larger peppers are easier to plant. Once softened, just flip them over and remove the stem, and 80-90% of them will fall off.

grill on the table

For taco nights, we like to do the last reheat at the table with a small tabletop griddle. You can heat up your tortillas and the al pastor at the same time, which makes for a really fun night. Just prepare all your ingredients in small communal bowls, have drinks and tacos throughout the night.

What to serve with tacos al pastor