Traditional Mexican Dishes
Mexican Tacos al Pastor
Prepare Mexican-style tacos al pastor in a skillet, with marinated pork in chilies, achiote, orange, and vinegar, golden pineapple, warm tortillas, and classic accompaniments of onion, cilantro, red sauce, and lime.
This homemade version reproduces the intense flavor and caramelized edges of taqueria-style tacos al pastor without the need for a trompo. The meat is marinated, browned in batches, and sautéed a second time with pineapple to achieve a juicy and toasted texture.
01
Ingredients
Have everything ready before you begin.
- ✓1 kg of boneless pork shoulder or butt, in thin fillets
- ✓4 dried guajillo chilies
- ✓1 dried ancho chili
- ✓60 g of achiote paste or red recado
- ✓2 cloves of garlic
- ✓120 ml of orange juice
- ✓60 ml of white or apple vinegar
- ✓1 teaspoon of dried Mexican oregano
- ✓1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin
- ✓1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves
- ✓1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
- ✓1 1/2 teaspoons of salt
- ✓1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
- ✓4 slices of fresh pineapple
- ✓16 small corn tortillas
- ✓1/2 white onion
- ✓20 g of fresh cilantro
- ✓2 limes
- ✓150 g of Mexican red sauce
02
Step-by-step method
- 01
Clean the guajillo chilies and ancho chili
Clean the guajillo chilies and ancho chili. Remove the stems, open them, and eliminate most of the seeds and veins. Use gloves if you are sensitive to spice and avoid touching your eyes.
- 02
Soak the chilies in a heat-resistant container, cover them with…
Soak the chilies in a heat-resistant container, cover them with very hot water, and let them hydrate for about 15 minutes, until they are flexible. Drain them well and discard the soaking water.
- 03
Blend the hydrated chilies, achiote paste, and…
Blend the hydrated chilies, achiote paste, garlic, orange juice, vinegar, oregano, cumin, cloves, black pepper, and salt for one or two minutes, until you get a fine and uniform red marinade. Strain it if necessary.
- 04
Dry the pork fillets and place them in a glass or stainless steel…
Dry the pork fillets and place them in a glass or stainless steel container. Pour the marinade over the meat and massage it to cover it completely. Cover the container and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours; ideally, leave it between 8 and 12 hours.
- 05
While the meat is marinating, cut 2 slices of pineapple into small…
While the meat is marinating, cut 2 slices of pineapple into small pieces for cooking and the other 2 into smaller cubes for serving. Chop the onion and cilantro, cut the limes into wedges, and keep the accompaniments covered in the refrigerator.
- 06
Remove the pork from the refrigerator 15 minutes before cooking…
Remove the pork from the refrigerator 15 minutes before cooking. Let the excess marinade drain, without removing it completely. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the oil, and wait for it to heat up.
- 07
Cook the fillets in several batches, without overcrowding, for…
Cook the fillets in several batches, without overcrowding, for approximately 2 to 4 minutes per side, depending on their thickness. Look for caramelized areas and toasted edges without burning the marinade. The pork should be fully cooked and reach an internal temperature of 63 °C, followed by a brief rest.
- 08
Transfer each batch to a clean cutting board and let the meat…
Transfer each batch to a clean cutting board and let the meat rest for 5 minutes. Cut the fillets first into strips and then into small pieces.
- 09
Return all the chopped meat to the hot skillet and add the…
Return all the chopped meat to the hot skillet and add the pieces of the 2 slices of pineapple destined for cooking. Sauté for 2 or 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until the pineapple is lightly browned and the meat develops new toasted edges.
- 10
Heat the tortillas on a comal or in a dry skillet for about…
Heat the tortillas on a comal or in a dry skillet for about 20 or 30 seconds per side. Stack them inside a clean cloth to keep them warm and flexible. If they are very thin or the meat has a lot of juice, use 2 tortillas per taco.
- 11
Assemble each taco by placing a portion of meat with hot pineapple…
Assemble each taco by placing a portion of meat with hot pineapple in the center of the tortilla. Add onion, cilantro, pineapple cubes, red sauce to taste, and a few drops of lime juice.
- 12
Serve immediately, while the meat retains its golden edges and…
Serve immediately, while the meat retains its golden edges and the tortillas remain warm.
- Marinate the meat between 8 and 12 hours to achieve a deeper flavor.
- Cook the pork in batches so that it browns instead of steaming in its own juices.
- Do not reuse the raw marinade as a sauce.
- If the bottom of the skillet becomes too dark, reduce the heat and carefully clean the residue before continuing.
- The second sauté of the chopped meat with pineapple helps create the characteristic caramelized edges.
- Keep the tortillas warm inside a clean cloth and serve the tacos immediately.
- Do not place the cooked meat in the same plate that contained the raw pork.