🇲🇽 Tacos al Pastor

Tacos al pastor are marinated pork cooked on a vertical spit, then sliced into corn tortillas with pineapple, onion, and cilantro. The combination of dried chilies, pineapple, and vinegar gives the pork a sweet-savoury depth that is unmistakable.

Ingredients

• 1 kg Pork Shoulder, thinly sliced
• 3 Dried Guajillo Chilies
• 2 Dried Ancho Chilies
• 2 Chipotle Chilies in Adobo
• 3 cloves Garlic
• 1/4 cup Pineapple Juice
• 2 tbsp White Vinegar
• 1 tsp Oregano
• 1 tsp Cumin
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1/2 Pineapple, sliced
• 18 Corn Tortillas
• 1 Onion, finely chopped
• Fresh Cilantro
• Lime Wedges

Method

1. Soak dried chilies in hot water 20 min. Blend with garlic, pineapple juice, vinegar, oregano, cumin, and salt.
2. Marinate pork slices in the chili mixture at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.
3. Sear pork in a hot skillet in batches until charred and cooked through.
4. Grill pineapple slices until caramelised, then chop.
5. Warm tortillas on a dry skillet.
6. Layer pork, pineapple, onion, and cilantro on each tortilla.
7. Serve with lime wedges and salsa.

History

Tacos al pastor are the product of Lebanese immigration to Mexico in the early 20th century. Lebanese immigrants brought shawarma — meat cooked on a vertical spit — and Mexican cooks adapted it using local ingredients: pork instead of lamb, achiote and dried chilies instead of the Middle Eastern spice blend, and pineapple instead of the traditional pickles. The result was a dish that belongs wholly to Mexico. It became a street-food staple in Mexico City and Puebla in the mid-20th century, and is now one of the most recognised Mexican dishes worldwide.

The science

The marinade in tacos al pastor does two jobs at once. The vinegar and pineapple juice are acidic, which denatures the surface proteins of the pork and allows the spices to penetrate deeper than a dry rub would. The pineapple also contains bromelain, an enzyme that further tenderises the meat — but this is a double-edged sword, because too much pineapple or too long a marinade will turn the pork mushy. The dried chilies bring both heat and colour, while the achiote (annatto) gives the meat its distinctive orange-red hue. The searing heat of the spit or skillet then caramelises the surface sugars from the pineapple, creating the sweet-savoury crust that defines the dish.

Substitutions

Pork shoulder is the traditional cut, but pork loin or even chicken thighs work well. Guajillo and ancho chilies are widely available in Latin American groceries and increasingly in mainstream supermarkets; if you cannot find them, a mild chili powder plus a little smoked paprika gets you close. For a vegetarian version, use thick slices of firm tofu or seitan, marinated the same way, and sear them hard. Corn tortillas are essential — flour tortillas will not give you the same flavour or texture.

Chef's tip

Freeze the pork 30 min before slicing — it makes paper-thin slices much easier.

Drink pairing

Agua fresca, Mexican lager, or horchata. A cold lager is the traditional choice on the street, while horchata offers a sweet, cooling counterpoint to the chili heat.