Who doesn’t love Tacos al Pastor? This delicious thinly sliced pork shoulder marinated in adobo sauce, served with green salsa, chopped onions, cilantro, grilled pineapple with a squeeze of fresh lime juice. Everything tastes better with a squeeze of lime!

The method of cooking “al pastor” actually comes from Lebanon. It’s inspired by shawarma! Lebanese immigrants moved to Mexico in the early 1900s and they brought their famous technique of spit-roasted meat, primarily lamb, with them.

The English translation of al pastor is “in the style of the shepherd.” Mexican shepherds adapted the Lebanese style of spit-roasting lamb, using pork instead, and al pastor tacos became a beloved Mexican food the world over.

Tacos al pastor are made from thin strips of pork that have been marinated in spices and chilies and then stacked onto a long spit called a trompo (a vertical rotisserie). In many (but not all) cases, a pineapple and / or an onion are placed on top of the spit. As the meat cooks, the outside layer gets crispy from exposure to the heat and the juice from the pineapple helps caramelize the meat.

The taquero (taco maker) shaves off the outer layers straight into tortillas, and top the pork with sliced pineapple, onion, cilantro and salsa. The vertical skewer is a key part of the equation, facilitating fat and juices to drip down onto the stack, “basting it as it crisps,” describes Serious Eats.

If you want to make this delicious dish at home, we found this great recipe in the AllRecipes, it has many ingredients, but don’t let that discourage you, it is actually pretty easy to make, you just have to have patience and we can assure you your friends and family will love, love love, this recipe:

Or join us on our Tacos After Dark Tour and eat the best al pastor tacos in Puerto Vallarta.

Ingredients:

1 kilo (2.2 Lbs) of pork loin, cut into thin steaks
3 guajillo chiles, deveined and ginned
2 wide chiles, deveined and ginned
2 chipotle peppers in marinade (in a can)
2 cloves garlic crushed
1 onion in pieces
1/4 cup of vinegar
1/2 cup of orange juice
1 cup of chopped pineapple
3 cloves
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
1 roasted tomato, peeled and seeded
1 tablespoon of salt

To Serve:

Corn tortillas (preferably made by hand)
4 slices of pineapple
1/2 cup of coriander clean and chopped
1/2 cup chopped onion
Taquera tomato sauce (tomatillo salsa or green salsa)
Slices of lemon

Preparation mode:

Preparation: 25 min Cooking: 40 min Extra time: 4 hours marinating Ready in: 5 hours 5 min.

1. Roast the tomato in a skillet or small comal over medium-high heat, turning constantly, until skin has roasted and begins to peel, about 10 minutes. Peel, cut in half and discard the seeds.
2. Meanwhile, boil enough water in a medium saucepan and add the guajillo and wide chiles. Let them boil until they have softened, about 5 minutes.

3. Place the boiled chiles in the blender jar. Add the chipotle chiles, garlic, onion, vinegar, orange juice, chopped pineapple, cloves, cumin, oregano and roasted tomato. Blend until you have a homogeneous sauce.
4. Place the meat in a glass bowl or zipper bag and add the sauce making sure to cover all the meat. Marinate inside the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight.

5. Preheat a griddle or grill on medium-high heat. Grill the marinated fillets, turning once, until they are fully cooked, about 2 minutes per side.
6. Meanwhile, roast the pineapple slices that have been lightly burned, about 5 minutes per side. If you wish, you can varnish them with the sauce of the meat while they are roasted.

7. Chop the meat and pineapple.
8. Serve the meat on hot tortillas, add roasted pineapple. Add cilantro and chopped onion, tomato sauce and a few drops of lemon juice, and Enjoy!!!!

When you take our Tacos After Dark Tour, you will be able to enjoy this mighty delicious taco, in no other than one of the best food stands in the whole of Puerto Vallarta and the Bay of Banderas.

So Book a tour with us, you will be glad you did… and remember to #ComeHungry