How To Make Tacos Al Pastor | Tacos Arabes | Al Pastor Tacos (Mexican Style Pork Tacos)

   It's "Taco-Tuesday," and many of you might be celebrating this special day of the week, with none other than, your favorite tacos! On that very flavorful note, let me introduce you to one of my favorite taco recipes. Al Pastor tacos, were invented by Middle-Eastern immigrants that migrated to Mexico City, during the early 1900's. Commonly known as, "tacos arabes," in many parts of the country, Al Pastor is prepared in a very special way.

It all starts with heavily marinated slabs of pork shoulder, that are stacked neatly on a vertical roasting spit, and prepared outdoors.  Let me show  you how to make this at home, using the oven, and a roasting pan. For this recipe, you'll need:

                                                          Pork Butt
                                                           Salt
                                                           Pepper
                                                            1 Large Onion
                                                            2 Cloves Garlic minced
                                                            1 Pineapple chopped
                                                            2 Tbsp chopped Cilantro
                                                            Loaf Pan
                                  For the adobada, you'll need:
                                              2 Tsp Anatto Powder
                                              1 Medium Onion
                                              2 Cloves Garlic
                                              1 Tsp dry Oregano
                                              1/2 Tsp Allspice
                                              1 Lime (juiced)
                                              1/4 cup Pineapple juice (reserved)
                                              1/4 cup White Vinegar
                                              1 Tsp Ground Cumin
                                              1/2 Tsp Ground Cinnamon
                                              1 Tsp Ground Corriander
                                              1 Tsp Paprika (optional)
                                              1 Tsp Onion Powder (optional)
                                              Anchote Chili (dried)
                                              Guajio Chilies (dried)

In a medium sized pot, boil some cold water. Once the water comes to a boil, add in the dried chilies. You can easily find these in air tight bags, sold at your local Latin market, or the Latin Foods, isle of your favorite grocery store. As a rule of thumb, when purchasing foreign ingredients, the items will generally be significantly cheaper at the respective stores. For example, sesame oil, will generally be more affordable at your local Asian grocer, and so on. For these items, I highly recommend you purchase from a reliable Latin Market. Okay, back to the recipe. Once the water has reached a boil, turn off the heat, and remove the chilies onto a cutting board. Make sure not to touch these chilies using your hands, and, if you do, make sure you aren't touching your eyes afterwards. I used tongs to help transfer them onto my cutting board, where i gave them a rough chop, before adding them into the basin of my food processor. Next, I added in the medium sized onion, but make sure to chop it first, since it'll help breakdown faster while pulsing. Then, add in a half tsp of coarse salt, along with the garlic cloves, and spices. Next, you'll need to add the lime juice, and vinegar, along with 2 tbsp vegetable oil, the chilies, and give that a pulse. Remember, we're not going for a coarse ground here. You'll want to pulse the mixture until the consistency resembles that of a smooth paste.

It's important to remember to rinse, and wash the pork before you add the marinade. In my previous videos, I show you just how to do that. In a large ziplock bag, place the pork, then, pour the marinade over it. Let it sit in the refrigerator for at least four to six hours. For best results, leave it overnight. The flavors will incorporate that much more, if you do this. Remember to watch my video on how to make tacos Al Pastor for some helpful tips. You'll want to cut the pork shoulder in half inch slices.

Next, go ahead and cut up the pineapple, and places a few chunks into the bag of marinade with the pork. Then, lightly spray some cooking oil onto your loaf pan, and place the slices of pork shoulder one on top of each other, stacked evenly. then pour over the reserved pineapple juice. Preheat your oven to 250 F and place the loaf pan in the center. You'll need to cook this for at least 3-5 hours or, until done.

For your next step, transfer the cooked pork onto a cooling rack and, let rest for at least 30 minutes, so the juices will redistribute. Next, transfer the cooked pork out of the pan and onto the cutting board. Then, start carving away. For this procedure, you'll want to make sure you carve the pieces into razor thin slices to simulate the Shawarma style experience. next, heat up some corn tortillas, and place the pork on top. The large onion, and tablespoons of cilantro, I had you set aside? Remember those? Good! Here's where you'll want to finely dice the onion, and chop the cilantro, and set aside in a separate bowl.

Now, generously top your tacos, with the onion cilantro mixture, and some pieces of pineapple if you'd like, and take a bite! You've earned it! On a side note, may I suggest a generous drizzle of lime juice on the tacos? It makes the tasting experience, all that much better!

WATCH VIDEO BELOW FOR MORE TIPS & TRICKS!